A Dream Come True
by pinkprincess13310
Summary: After many cycles on the Grid with Kevin Flynn, she is in the User world, but she isn't alone. Quorra has Sam Flynn and Sam Flynn has Quorra. This is their time together as Sam helps Quorra explore her new and permanent home.
1. Chapter 1

**_So this is really new to me. I am normally writing for Twilight because that is my favorite movie but I just couldn't hold back for this movie. I saw Tron Legacy the first time about a week ago, thining oh cool, going to hang out with friends at a movie but by the end i was totally attached! I absolutely lobed the movie and I have seen it at least three times since last week. It is a really great srtoy i think and i just had to write abou it. _**

**_I loved Quorra and Sam, although i was a little disappointed when they didn't kiss. I was wondering when they would for almost half the movie. Haha, anyways, I wanted to make a story of Quorra as she explores this new world with Sam._**

**_And lastly before you read this, this chapter is sort of a filler chapter. I wanted to pick up from when they were on the motorcycle. So, i have a big part in here from Sam meeting Alan at ENCOM like he promised. I wanted to stay true to what was said in the movie. Writing it out was a little boring but i promise the next chapters will be better._**

**_Enjoy!_**

Warm, radiant, beautiful.

Sam was so right from when he had first explained the sun to me. I was in awe, if that was the right word for being amazed. The colors were amazing, a bright yellow and orange color that I had never witnessed before.

I could feel the slight heat on my face from the sun. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth on my face. There was never anything like this in my world. There were only few colors that had existed in my world.

Sam and I continued riding along the bridge, at least it looks like a bridge from the build and description that I know of, on a vehicle that reminded me of the light cycles in my old world but I knew it was something different and barely similar.

I rested my chin in between Sam's shoulder blades, blinking once slowly before looking ahead of me as I clutched closer to Sam, my hands tightening slightly.

The bridge ended and we started to pass by tall buildings. I noticed that there were other vehicles that we passed and more cars that were going the other way.

"Sam?" I asked. He hadn't said anything since we got on the bike and I was starting to wonder if I had done something wrong.

"Yes, Quorra?" he asked back as he glanced back at me after he had come to a stop in the middle of the street. There was this odd contraption above the street that was blaring red and I wondered if that had to do with why he had stopped driving.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I looked around me, my eyes continuing to run up and down the large buildings everywhere. My eyes paused on one building that had the sun on it as well. This building looked different than some of the others. It had glass on the outside and looked very shiny with the sun on it.

"Patience, Quorra, all of your questions will be answered soon," he replied and he laughed quietly as he turned to look at me for a moment. I turned my gaze from the tall building to meet his and smiled after seeing his familiar grin.

I nodded and turned my gaze back to my surroundings. The bike started to move again and the movement made me jump slightly. Everything felt different here.

Sam turned off of the street and into a strange place that was darkened, with other vehicles that were not moving. He stopped where a man stood in a tall box. The man handed Sam a piece of paper and then the man turned his gaze on me. I looked back at him, wondering what he had given Sam and if I was going to get one too.

Before I could think about it any more, Sam was driving off again, inside the limited space of this poorly lit place. Sam parked the bike in a post that had a yellow line on either side of it.

"Alright Quorra, hop off," Sam told me as he took a key out of a slot in this odd machine. The engine cut off then.

"Hop off? What is that?" I asked him in confusion.

He let out a short chuckle. "It seems as though I have a lot to teach you. It means that you can get off of the motorcycle now," he answered me as his foot moved to bring out a small rod that had been holding the bike up when I had first seen it.

I nodded and got off or hopped off the bike as he had called it. "So this contraption is called a motorcycle. I believe I have heard of that before. Maybe in some of the books that I have read," I said as I looked at the motorcycle.

"Yes, this is a motorcycle, not like the other cars around here," he said as he got off the bike and pointed to a vehicle next to the bike.

I nodded as I turned my head to the car next to Sam's motorcycle.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at Sam. "Before I show you more about this world I need to take care of some business. I made a promise that would be in my best intentions to keep if I am going to go through with this," he told me.

"Of course, it is very important to keep promises that you make. That was one of the first few things that Flynn taught me," I said and then the strangest sensation came over me. My throat seemed to close and I felt this small heat burn my eyes. A wetness filled my eyes and when I blinked I felt something warm and wet move down my face.

"What is this?" I asked and I could feel my voice shake. I lifted my hand to my face to take away the wetness from my cheek.

Arms wrapped around me a few seconds later. "Those are tears, Quorra. It means that you are upset and sad," he answered in a softer voice as he lifted a hand to wipe away the other tear. His hand moved over my back in a rhythm and he continued. "Don't be sad, Quorra. Everything will be ok, I promise," he told me as he looked down at me.

I nodded at him and briefly smiled up at him. "Now, let's go," he said as he took my hand and pulled me to an elevator, I think. He pressed a button that had an up arrow and I nodded to myself, thinking it had to be an elevator.

There was a beep noise and then the door opened. Sam ushered me inside and pressed a button that had a star on it. The doors shut and I gasped as I felt something inside me. I pressed my hand to the spot that felt weird, my abdomen, it felt lighter, I think.

Sam's chuckle made me move my head to look at him. "I don't know how to explain that to you but that feeling, it is like you lost your stomach. Elevators here on earth will do that unlike the ones that were on the Grid. You get used to it after a while," Sam said and once he finished the doors opened, showing what looked like a lobby that was very large.

"Come on," Sam said he tugged me out of the elevator and through the large room to what looked like another elevator across the room. He pressed the up button again and once the door opened we stepped in again.

Two other people walked in as well before the doors shut. They both smiled at us and pressed a button the soon lit up on the key pad. The elevator moved upwards and once again I felt the weird sensation in my stomach. The elevator stopped suddenly and the two people stepped out. I started to walk but Sam stopped me, pulling me back through the doors. "That isn't the floor we want, Quorra," Sam said as the doors shut again.

The elevator moved upwards some more and then came to a halt once again. The doors opened and Sam gestured for me to follow him.

My eyes widened as I took everything in. "Quorra, this is ENCOM headquarters," he explained to me as we walked along.

My eyes moved over everything, looking over this amazing place. "Wow," I whispered. Everything was made out of glass, or almost everything. There were users everywhere, some holding a stack of some white flat stuff in their hands while others were holding something to their ears, talking to it.

Sam led me down a hall and then opened a door to room that a man was standing in, looking at something around his wrist as he tapped his foot.

"I wasn't going to back out last minute, hear I am," Sam told the man. The man looked up and smiled. He had hair like Flynn's, that almost gray color but he wore something over his eyes.

I focused on him for a moment and then my eyes caught something bright again. My eyes widened as I looked out the glass. I walked over to the large glass thing and pressed my hands to the cold and smooth glass. "Oh, Sam, look! It is the sun again! Although, it is much higher in the sky now than it was earlier, it looks even brighter too" I said in amazement.

"Quorra," Sam said and by the way he said my name made me turn around. The man with glasses was looking at me with a strange look on his face.

The man spoke up then. "Sam, who is this?" he asked as he looked from me to Sam and back again. Then he made another facial expression that I couldn't place. "Is she the girl that I saw on the back of your motorcycle when you were leaving the arcade this morning?" he asked as he turned his head to look at Sam.

I took small and cautious steps over towards the two of them, letting my mind wonder away from the sun again. "Alan, this is Quorra. Quorra, this is Alan," Sam said, introducing us. Alan smiled curiously at me, sticking his hand out towards me. I shook his hand and smiled shyly at him.

"It is nice to meet you, Quorra," he said sincerely. After he pulled away, he turned abruptly and went to shut the door that Sam had left ajar. He turned to look at us and I unconsciously moved closer to where Sam was, suddenly unsure about this user. "You went there," he said in an awed voice, looking directly at Sam. "How did you manage to bring back a program?" he asked as his gaze turned to look at me.

"Alan, she isn't just a program," Sam said, pausing to glance at me for a moment. "She is an ISO, Alan," he informed him.

The man, or Alan, looked at me again. "Wow, I have heard so many…so many things about your kind," he whispered ,looking amazed as he stared at me. He took a few steps closer until he was about two feet away from Sam and I. "And you are human…even more amazing, how did that happen?" he asked me. "Are there others here, I do recall Kevin speaking of these Isomorphic Algorithms very highly. He said that it would be his gift to the world," he murmured as he looked out the glass frame to this room, his eyes looking distant.

Sam spoke for me as I continued to look at the man in front of me. "She is the last one, Alan. My father made sure that she was able to get here," Sam said and I felt myself sadden once more as I remembered.

"Ah, you must tell me everything, Sam. And Quorra, how did you…" he trailed off as he looked at my face and then he smiled kindly at me. "I am sorry, I am probably overwhelming you, I didn't mean to," he murmured as he smiled apologetically at me. "And I have almost forgot that we have other things to accomplish, Sam. Maybe you two could tell me the story later?" he asked as he eyed Sam and I.

"Yes, later. I have so many things to do. Plus, I need to get her squared away," Sam said as he looked down at me fondly. "Actually, I have no idea where to start with you," he sighed.

"Actually, I could assist you with some of it. She will need paperwork to show that she actually lives here legally. I could probably pull a few strings….contact a few people," he started to mumble, one thing that I had learned from Flynn. He did this too. "But, about taking your spot here, I have part of it squared away, you just need to make an appearance, I suppose," Alan continued. "Oh, and this will be your office. A few people dropped by earlier to bring some magazines and what not so you can remodel everything to how you would like it," he said as he turned to Sam.

He nodded and walked towards the door but then turned back to face me. "Do you mind if you stay here with Alan for a minute or two?" he asked and I shook my head. "Try not to wonder off either, ok? Stay here in this office. I promised that I would keep you safe and I intend on keeping that promise," he informed me with a grin.

"Stop worrying, Sam Flynn. I know how to take care of myself," I noted and he just shook his head, turned and left the room.

My eyes floated around the room once again. Everything was so different here. I walked slowly around the room, taking it all in. Stopping at a desk to run my fingers along its surface.

"He is very protective of you," the familiar voice of Alan brought me out of my starting to wonder thoughts. I turned to look at Alan, my eyes taking him in.

"Yes, I suppose. His father was the same way. Flynn has always been there for me. Even though I haven't known Sam for nearly as long, it's still the same," I murmured. Alan took a seat in a white chair that had a soft look to it.

"How do you like it here so far, Quorra?" Alan asked.

"I love it, there are so many…different colors here. And the sun, Both Sam and Flynn told me about it but I never imagined it like this. It is so…" I stopped because I didn't know how to exactly explain it.

Alan smiled at me and sat in silence for a moment and I turned back to looking around the room. My eyes moved to an object that sent out light from some sort of circle. I reached my hand out to touch the small light that was on a silver rod. Before my hand touched the light I heard Alan speak up again.

"Quorra don't touch that, the light bulb in the lamp is hot and will burn you," he told me and I pulled away from it. So the light was a light bulb and the thing surrounding it and holding it up was called a lamp.

A ringing noise filled the room then and I jumped at the sound. "Oh, it is just my phone, excuse me, "he apologized as he pulled out an object that I had seen earlier. I had seen people put them to their ears and talk, which was exactly what Alan did.

"A phone," I whispered as I looked at the silver object that Alan held to his ear. I moved my eyes back to the desk and noticed the chair there. I copied Alan's actions and decided to take a seat. This chair was different though. It moved, letting me spin around and around as many times as I wanted too. I gasped happily. "Oh! So spectacular!" I said as I started to spin the chair with my feet.

I had never seen a chair like this before. It was absolutely amazing. I laughed once but then stopped. Was that supposed to be funny? I didn't force it, I just laughed. Then, I felt this weird sensation come over me. My head felt sort of heavier than it usually was, it didn't make me feel to great.

I continued to spin in the chair as I tried to figure out what was making my head feel like that. I saw the door that Sam had left from start to open and when then next spin came around to the door I saw Sam. "Sam, look at this! The chair spins! I have never been in a chair that spins before. Oh, and what is that weird feeling in my head? It is starting to bother me," I added as I tapped my head as I continued to spin in the chair.

"Well, the more you spin around the more your head will bother you. It is dizziness, have you heard of that?" he asked me.

"Yes, yes I have. Flynn always taught me human feelings and emotions," I quipped as I stopped spinning in the chair, understanding what he meant.

Sam chuckled quietly before turning his head so he was facing Alan. "There will be a meeting in fifteen minutes. They are spreading the word now. We should be heading down soon," Sam informed him.

Alan's eyes widened as he looked at Sam, stunned. "How did you manage that so quickly? I was thinking that security would have been called before you were even close," he commented and I frowned slightly.

"I had a lot of time to think of how I was going to handle it, but I must have done it right. Anyways, as the heir of the company, I am technically allowed to fire people," he said with a grin.

The two of them laughed and I just stared between the two of them. "Sam, can I come?" I interjected quietly as I stood from the chair, wobbling slightly as my head finally steadied itself. I walked over to the two of them as Sam nodded towards me.

"Yes, I told someone to make sure there was room for one more. You can come," he said as he smiled down at me.

I felt really excited then and I wrapped my arms around Sam in a hug. "Yay!" I squealed. "Thank you, Sam," I told him as I felt his arms wind softly around me.

"Your welcome, but it's not going to be exciting, the opposite of exciting really," he told me as I pulled away from him.

"You mean boring? Why?" I asked him.

Alan cleared his throat. ""Sam, we should be going," he told him as he started to head out of the large office.

"You are right, you will find out, Quorra, now come on," he told me as he gestured for me to go ahead.

We all walked out of the office and down the hall again, towards the elevator. The elevator opened and the three of us stepped in along with a handful of other people. Other than Sam and I, they were dressed almost alike, having a tidy and business-like look to them.

Two buttons lit up that Alan and one other person had pressed as the elevator doors. Sam's gaze was on mine as the elevator started to move.

I gasped as I suddenly felt like I was falling. I opened my mouth to ask Sam what was going on but he placed a finger to his lips and shook his head at me. I closed my eyes and he smiled ,nodding at me.

The doors opened sooner than they had the last two times and about half of the people got off with us. We walked down a brightly lit hallway until my eyes widened, looking at this large glass tank with water in it and these things that moved around. "Sam?" I asked but he didn't answer me. Maybe he didn't hear me. Flynn had said that human hearing was not like mine, it was imperfect I think he had said.

I saw Sam glance at Alan before he started to lead me away from where everyone was headed, down another hallway but it was much dimmer that the one I was in. We had taken two steps away from the small crowd when I asked Sam again. "Sam? What is-?"

The rest of my sentence was cut off as his hand covered my mouth, pulling me down the shady hallway quickly. "Shh, Quorra," he whispered as he turned a corner and stopped, turning to look at me.

"What is it, Sam? Did I say something wrong?" I asked as I looked at him, instantly feeling guilty.

"No, you did nothing wrong. You just have to be quiet, ok? For the time that we are in the meeting, or in that room with all of those people. I know you have questions, I know, I would to but try to hold them in and remember them and when we are away from them, I will gladly answer your questions. Do you understand?" he asked me. He sounded angry, was he angry with me?

We were staring at each other now and I nodded softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad at me," I whispered guiltily.

"Quorra, I am not mad at you," he promised me. "I just don't want you attracting attention to yourself. The last thing we need are questions about you. They don't need to know where you are from," he said.

"But you told Alan," I put in, starting to become confused.

"You can trust Alan, and anyways, he already knew about your kind and where you came from. He pretty much guessed all of that on his own," Sam stated.

"I don't have to go, you know, I can stay back," I said .

He laughed and then snorted softly. "Come on, Quorra," he told me as he took my hand and led me back down the hall and then towards a room that I could see through.

Many people were seated and silent as we walked in. Sam pulled me along as a few gazes moved to look at Sam and then linger on me. More heads popped up as we walked across the room and I started to feel unsure and unsettled by their lingering eyes.

Sam motioned for me to sit in an empty seat and I did so quietly. He sat beside me, at the head of the table with Alan on his other side.

I watched as each seat filled and then my attention turned to Sam as he cleared his throat. Everyone's heads turn in our direction and I instantly felt out of place, like I didn't belong. I suddenly felt like I didn't want to be in this room, I wanted to vanish, unnoticed by the many sets of on looking eyes.

"I am sorry to inconvenience all of you with this but it is necessary. I further apologize for not taking the company sooner like I should have," he said slowly, probably thinking his words out before he said them aloud. "But now I realize the mistake that I have made and I am hear to take my position as CEO," he continued.

I placed my hands in my lap, clasping them together as I sighed softly. A man on the other side of the table stood, something about his face made me thing that he was mad. "What makes you think that you can come in hear and just take everything back like this? You declined the numerous offers that we made to you," he said in an even and emotionless tone.

"I understand that, but that has changed. I now understand how much this company meant to my father and I want to make things right," Sam told the man. "I am not backing down from this."

The man sat back down in his chair and I glanced at Sam again. His eyes met mine and I could see the small glint in his eyes. He must have thought that the man would be a threat to what Sam wanted to do.

His eyes left mine and I watched as he scanned the room. Silence loomed over everyone for a good amount of time before Alan cleared his throat. He waited a moment before he spoke. "Alright then, since that is settled we need to go over out charts, latest programs, and flow so he knows where we stand at this time. James," Alan instructed and a man in black stood and walked behind us, turning on a large panel on the wall. I watched as someone else touched the table top and started to type on it.

"Unauthorized persons are prohibited to be here when we open our marketing documents," my head turned up as I locked eyes with a man in gray. "I am going to have to ask her to-"

"She is authorized," Sam put in, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"By who? She doesn't work here and if she does, not in this field. I have never seen her here before," the man challenged.

"By me, And she is not the topic of the meeting so if you wish to meet her, we can talk afterwards," Sam said.

The man stopped and I turned to look at Sam with a frown. "That wasn't very nice, Sam," I chided and he just chuckled softly.

"Sometimes you have to be a little harder with people that tend to be difficult, Quorra," he informed me in a whisper.

Sam turned around in his chair and I did the same, making sure not to spin the chair in circles like I had earlier. The man in black turned to face Sam then. "My name is Vic Harlor and one of my specialties here is to produce the flow charts, program graphs, and etcetera," the man, or Vic introduced himself formally to Sam.

I let my eyes float around the room, I knew about what they were discussing. Flynn had explained this to me many cycles ago. He said that it was very important in the human world. He even had books that had these graphs and tables in them.

The room that we were currently in was mainly glass, something that I was very familiar with. The lighting here though was different. It wasn't just white or orange like the grid, there were many different colors. The room was lit with bright white lights but the lighting was not as fluid as it was in the grid. Occasionally, I would see a flicker from the fluorescent lights. On one side of the room, there was a touch screen I think. There were many colors on this large flat surface, but the colors were mainly blue, green, red, and yellow. I didn't know what that meant thought so I moved on.

I rested my gaze on the large screen like everyone while I rubbed my hands together. My eyes shot up in surprise, how had I not noticed this earlier?

My skin was soft, still smooth like it always was but now not as hard as it used to be. I had skin like Flynn and Sam's…I had…human skin. That must have been what Alan meant when he said that I was human earlier.

I smiled and looked down at my hands. This was amazing. My skin was warm and I could feel a faint thumping noise. I gasped at my realization. I had a heartbeat too!

I had to tell Sam, he would be really happy too! I had to…be quiet. I could see Sam looking at me from the corner of his eye with an amused look on his face. "Sorry," I said, barely audibly so only he could hear me.

"It's ok, you are a little more amusing than this is," he mouthed back with a grin.

"Mr. Flynn, are you listening to what I am saying?" Vic asked and our heads turned to look at the unhappy man. "Look, I know this may not be enjoyable to you but you need to be informed," he said.

Alan cleared his throat then. "Maybe another day. Sam has some other matters to attend to and I suggest we don't crowd his mind before he can get that done. We will have plenty more opportunities to fill him in on everything. Cut him some slack, it is his first day," Alan said calmly.

"Ah, you are right, my apologies, Mr. Flynn."

"Please, call me, Sam, and that goes for all of you all right? And thank you for taking the time to come on such a short notice," Sam told them as he turned his chair to face the table again. "If there aren't any questions we are done here."

I turned my chair around as well and noticed some people starting to stand, pulling out those phones again but at the same time waiting. Sam nodded once and then stood from his chair. As he did this, people started to leave, gradually at first but then more and more people. Only a few people lingered.

"Sam?" I asked softly but before he had a chance to glance down at me, a man had walked up to him.

I watched as they shook hands and talked briefly of some program that was leaked on the internet a day ago. I wondered briefly what they were talking about before I turned my head to look out the window.

The sun had risen even more than from the last time I had seen it. I remember Flynn telling me that the sun moved across the sky, reaching its highest point normally around noon, which he had explained was a time of day. He had also mentioned that the sun would leave the sky at the end of the day and the moon would rise and move across the sky like the sun had, except it would be darker, like the grid.

I smiled to myself. This world was so amazing, so beautiful. I can't believe that I was actually here. It felt like I couldn't absorb enough about this new world at a time and then also be on my best behavior to seem normal like Sam said.

I jumped slightly as I heard my name being called. "This is Quorra," Sam said with a smile and I stood, showing the manners that Flynn had taught me. "Quorra, this is Riley Mason," he explained. I stuck my hand out to shake his and smiled kindly at him.

"It is very nice to meet you, Quorra," he said sincerely as his eyes swept over me in one swift motion. He turned back to Sam then. "I hope to be seeing you later on, I must be getting back," he said as he nodded at the two of us, leaving the room then.

Everyone was gone after that except for me, Sam, and Alan. We walked out of the room and down the hall, as we did Sam explained to me what the water filled container was. It was a fish tank or mini aquarium and the little things moving around inside of it were fish.

After we made it in and then back out of the elevator and back to the large office, Alan closed the door behind us. "I have no idea how you managed to pull that off, kid," he said with a short laugh.

Sam shrugged. "Well, I was lucky."

Sam walked over to the desk and sat down in the rolling chair that I sat in earlier. He picked up these flimsy small books that had a lot of pictures in them. I moved closer to the desk, looking at the new books. Sam noticed and looked up at me. "What do you think, Quorra? This one or this one?" he asked.

I looked at the pictures of furniture that Sam was pointing at. "What do you mean?" I asked.

He shook his head and tossed the thin pages aside. He breathed out a sigh. "I have more important things to do than this," he muttered as he looked to the side. "Alan, could you just have someone just put some stuff in here? Maybe a couch and a few chairs over there with a table or something?"

"That would probably be easier," Alan said with a smile.

"Am I allowed to leave? I need to get some things for her squared away…" Sam trailed off as he looked at me.

"I have someone for the paper work, I made an appointment for tomorrow. The sooner the better I thought, rather be safe than sorry," he said.

Sam nodded and turned to me. "Quorra, what do you think about exploring some more?" he asked with a smirk on his face. He knew the answer.

"Yes! Come on, Sam, let's go then," I said with excitement. He stood from the choir as Alan spoke up.

"Take one of the company cars, Sam. You probably have a lot of shopping to get done," he informed him and Sam nodded.

Sam started to lead me to the door but then stopped, turning to look at Alan. "Thank you, you have no idea how much I appreciate your help," he said sincerely.

Alan nodded, a bright smile on his face. "I am always here for you Sam, you know that," he told him. "Now get out of here before someone comes in here looking for the CEO," he ordered but I could tell that he was joking around.

Sam laughed and then nodded, pulling me out the door to explore some more.

**_Kinda boring right? Well, at least i think so... Please Please PLEASE review and tell me what you think of this story so far or to just say hey. If you are one of my twilight fanfic readers definitely leave a review and tell me what you thought of the change in stories!_**

**_If you have any ideas, opinions, or just something that you want to be in the story, review and let me know because i love it when you guys do that._**

**_Tell me if you want me to go through Quorra;s shopping experience or just skip over it. Because i am really debating on leaving it out. I just don't think i am up for that right now...ugh school._**

**_NE ways PLZ REVIEW! The Faster You Review The Faster The Next Chapter Is Posted!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Wow, this is the longest chapter that I have ever written ever. I was thinking of cutting stuff out or cutting it in half but i was afraid you guys would get confused so i kept it this way. Thank you for the four reviews that I got, those of you that took the time to tell me what you thought are awesome! Now, enjoy!_**

Quorra POV

Sam had informed me that the place where his motorcycle was parked was called a parking structure. He said that you parked your vehicles there when there was nowhere else to park or sometimes for convenience. After a short ride in the car that Sam was using, we were in yet another parking structure but this one was different. Sam said that this one was for a mall, which he had told me was a place where you could get almost anything that you ever needed. He said that he needed to take me shopping for necessities that I would be needing in this world.

We walked into the main entrance and a large sign read, The Galleria, in silver cursive. My eyes wondered over everything in wonder, there were so many things here, so many different people. "Oh my goodness, Sam, this place is huge!" I said with a wide smile.

Sam nodded. "It has to be, there are a lot of stores here," he said as we started to walk along again. Silence fell between us for a minute or two as I continued to look around. "So where do you want to go first?" Sam asked, bringing me out of my thoughts and focusing on him again.

"Um…does it matter? I don't even know what I am supposed to be looking for Sam," I said with a slight frown as I looked at the stores that we passed.

For a moment I thought I saw him grimace but when I turned my head to really look at his facial expression. "Well, one, we are looking for clothes for you, and two, you need to find something that interests you, something that you would want to wear," he told me.

"Hmm…so you don't wear the same thing everyday like the suits that we were equipped with on the Grid?" I asked, confusion written on my face and coloring my tone heavily. That sounded so bizarre but sounded very interesting. I wouldn't be stuck in the same thing for forever anymore.

He was frowning now, an obvious frown that he wasn't trying to hide anymore. He pulled me into a store that was called American Eagle and stopped, turning to look at me. "So I guess we could start here then. I just need to find out what size you are…maybe someone could get you fitted, that would make this a whole lot easier for me," he mumbled as he turned away from me, scanning the store.

"Welcome to American Eagle, if there is anything I can assist you with please let me know," a woman said so fast that I almost couldn't understand her. Sam just nodded towards her with a smile on his face.

"Come on, Quorra," he said and I followed him quickly. We stopped at a few shelves that had a lot of jeans on them, or at least I think they were jeans, they fit the description of how they were portrayed in the books that I read. He took a step back and looked at me, scanning his eyes over me. "Now to figure out your size…" he mumbled but then he snapped his finger lightly. "Do you know the size of the jeans that you are wearing now?" he asked me.

What was he talking about? Why would there be a size in my jeans and what exactly did he mean by size? His sigh brought my eyes to look at him. He walked towards me and then behind me. "Hold on a second," he said and I felt his hands on my shoulders. He moved them to the collar of my jacket and I felt a slight tug on the fabric as he searched for something. Then I felt his hand on the skin of my back as he reached for something on the inside of my shirt.

His hands were so warm, his skin was so warm that I felt lost for a moment but I had no idea why. But as soon as the sensation hit me, it was gone, along with his warm fingers.

"Ok, easy enough, I guess I should have known that. Smalls," he said. "Now your jeans…" he trailed off and I could feel hesitation in his voice. His hand brushed the back of my jeans but then they were gone. "Ok, we are going to pick out some shirts for you and you need to go try them on. When you do, look into your jeans for a tag. It is small and is usually located here or here," he murmured as he pressed on my lower back and then my left hip.

I nodded and as we walked Sam pulled out different shirts from the shelves. There were so many different colors for shirts that you could wear here!

Sam walked us over to a little hall with a sign in the doorway that said fitting room. He turned and handed me the handful of shirts. I took them from his grasp and listened to what he instructed me to do. "Ok, try all of these on and pick the ones that fit you best and that you like. I will be over there waiting for you when you are done. And don't forget to check your jean size," he said to me as a women walked over to us. I nodded and he walked off slowly.

The lady smiled and counted the shirts in my hands and then gave me a number and led me to a small room. The door clicked shut behind me as I walked in and my eyes took in the place. The space was small and had a cushioned bench on one side of it and then two mirrors in the room. There were fluorescent lights running along the sides of the long mirrors.

I looked at the clothes in my hand for a moment, wondering how I would get them on me. I tried to remember from the many books that I had read if there was a clue. I knew that you could change clothes because Flynn changed outfits when he meditated.

Then it clicked and I smiled happily at my realization. I took off the already unzipped jacket and then got the shirt over my head. I was left in my jeans and undergarments. I picked up one of the shirts but then stopped, holding it in my hands. How did I know which way was the front? How would I know if I had it on right?

Something white inside the top of the shirt caught my eye and then I understood. Maybe since the tag that Sam had looked for on my clothes were in the back, this tag would go in the back as well. It made sense, right?

I slid the shirt on and turned to the mirror. The shirt was similar to what I had seen in the mall, users wearing shirts similar to this one. I liked it, it was not long sleeved, short sleeved was what I think they called it and it was a pink and blue color with words that said American Eagle on it. It felt like it fit on me so I took it off and put it by itself.

The next two were different than the first, a little more classy, that sounds like a good word for it, both were long sleeved and one had a collar on it while the other had a neck line that dropped to form a V about two inches from the base of my neck. I put them in the same stack as the first shirt. The fourth shirt that I tried was very loose fitting and dragged out to my thighs. I guess that was what Sam meant by making sure they fit me. I put that one in a different stack by itself.

Then I remembered what Sam had told me to do. A tag…. I ran my fingers across the waist of these jeans and found a button and zipper. I undid them and since there was nothing else that would help me get them off, I just pulled them down, hoping that I was doing it right.

I picked them up and looked inside for the tag. Sam was right, it was in the back. The first thing that I read was a number. It said 1 and then there was a dash and then a 2. What did that mean? it was a fraction, one half, how is that supposed to help me find my jeans size. I read the rest of the tag and was disappointed to find that there was only print about something called a washing machine and it looked like instructions on how to wash these jeans.

I sighed and put them back on the right way. Sam was going to be disappointed since I didn't know my jeans size.

I tried on the rest of the shirts in no time, thinking that I was getting the hang of it and then picked them up when I was done. I walked towards the entrance with the clothes in my hands when the same girl came up to me. "I hope you found everything easily. I can take the clothes that you don't want," she said and I paused, wondering what she meant.

OH! Maybe she meant the shirts that I couldn't fit. I handed her the pile of shirts that weren't of any use to me and handed her the number that she gave me earlier.

When I walked out of the fitting room, Sam was exactly where he said he would be. He smiled as he saw me and walked over. "Are these the ones that fit you?" he asked and I nodded my head. "Good, and did you check your jean size?" he asked me.

"I looked but it talked about instructions for something called a washing machine and at the top of it, there was a fraction, it said one over two, or I guess one half. What does this have to do with-?"

"Quorra, that is a jean size, it means that you are in between a one and a two. You could fit either one," he said as he guided me to the jean rack again. He picked out several different types, some that were skinny, others that flared at towards the ankle, some were navy blue, a dark gray, black. Some even had designs on them, on the back of the pants, which I think were resting on pockets.

"Come one, Quorra, we have a few more stores to go to and I should probably get you something to eat. Are you hungry?" he asked as we started to walk to a person behind a counter.

"Um…hungry? I thought I just get livations to keep me powered up," I said with a frown.

"Food is your livation now, along with drinks. You don't eat synthetic food anymore, you get to eat and taste the real stuff now," he said and a moment later we stopped at the counter. Sam grabbed my shirts and put them on the counter, along with the jeans and a few things that I saw he had bought for himself.

I understood what was going on now. He had to pay for what he got. Flynn had told me about this and explained why this had to happen. He said that it was how the world functioned, how they kept the economies and money flowing.

I turned my attention to the person behind the counter and almost jumped in surprise. This man, he looked quite young, I didn't know a correct age for it, was staring at me with a strange expression on his face. Even when I met his eyes he was still staring at me. I smiled shyly at him, wondering if I hadn't done something right but I heard Sam clear his throat. I turned to look at him as he made a slight grunting noise and glared at the man.

His eyes moved away from me and he finished putting the clothes in bags. Sam handed the man a plastic card and then received it back after a few moments. The man placed the bags on the counter and Same took them. "Thank you," he said in a gruff tone. "Quorra," he said and I started to follow him, glancing at the man behind the counter again to find him looking at me in the same way he had just a minute ago.

We walked out of the store and started to walk down the mall again. "What was his problem, Sam? Was he mad at me? What did I do?" I asked, truly thinking that I had made him mad.

"Trust me, Quorra, you didn't make him mad, probably the exact opposite of mad," he said with a short chuckle but it didn't sound the same.

"So I made him happy? Oh, that is good then. But why was he staring at me like that. It didn't look like he was happy, he looked…" I trailed off, not knowing how to place that face.

"I will tell you later…maybe," he said as we walked past other stores.

I stopped and looked at him. He was hiding something from me and I knew it. He stopped when he realized that I wasn't walking along with him anymore. "You are not telling me something, Sam Flynn. What is it?" I asked as I walked closer to him.

"Now is not the time for it. We need to finish shopping for you. I promise to tell you later," he said with an amused smile.

"You better keep that promise and I won't forget, I never do," I told him as we started to walk again.

We stopped in front of a store called Victoria Secret. Sam turned to look at me with a frown. "I think you are going to have to do this part by yourself," he informed me.

"Why?" I asked, completely confused. He had helped me pick out clothes in the other store why not this one.

"Because if I go into this store…I will look like a perv," he said with another laugh.

"What is a perv?" I asked him.

He sighed. "I will tell you that later too. Long story short, this is a women's store and clearly I am not, therefore I should not go in," he told me.

I nodded, understanding him. "But what am I supposed to buy here?" I questioned him.

He groaned slightly and neared me, pulling me to sit down one bench in the center of the large walk way. "There should be an article of clothing underneath your jeans and another one under your shirt. Do you know what I am talking about?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes, there's-"

"No, no, you don't have to tell me, I already know. You are going to get those things and if you want to, I think they may have some shirts, pajamas, and jeans or whatever. Just buy whatever you want. Here," he said as he pulled out the plastic card. "If they ask for a signature just put in cursive… Quorra Flynn," he said. "But I don't you will have to."

I nodded and he stood. "See that store over there? I will be in there if you don't see me sitting here when you come out. I need to get you a phone," he said as he pointed to a store that said at&t.

"Ok, bye Sam," I said as he walked away and I walked into the store. This store was very different than the last one. There weren't as many colors here and there were different fabrics.

I pushed my thought away to start looking for what I came in here for. I walked around until I found what I was looking for. There were many different styles of these undergarments, underwear was what caught my eye, so I guess that is what they are specifically called. There were different styles, just like the shirts and jeans that I had gotten earlier.

The sizes were like the jean sizes so like Sam had said, I picked out ones and twos. I picked eight, a number that was close to the amount of jeans and shirts we got. I wondered about the styles. I knew how to put them on but they didn't look exactly as comfortable as some of the others.

Two of them were silky, one black and the other red. I got another two that were called hipsters, one was purple with a pretty frilly lining on the top and the other was pink with black stripes in it. I only got one that was called a thong because it didn't look very comfortable, it was black with a pink design on part of it. I also got one boy short that was blue and pink and something called a V-string that was a dark purple. Lastly, I picked up an underwear called a bikini that was a silky red color with pink hearts on it. It seemed like the one that I was wearing now because it looked the most comfortable.

I moved on to a section that said bras and looked like the object that I was wearing underneath my shirt. I stopped as I realized that I didn't know my size for that.

I needed to check the size of it like Sam had instructed me to do with the jeans. I went into the fitting room but paused as I saw a sign catch my eye. It said Bra fittings.

I neared the sign, thinking it would be easier to do that than go through my layers of clothes to find my size. A lady came up to me then. "Would you like any help?" she asked.

I thought about my answer for a moment. "Yes," I murmured. "Can I get one of these?" I asked her as I pointed to the little poster thing.

She smiled. "Sure, give me a second, let me get a caddy," she said and then disappeared behind a door.

After I finished I walked back out of the fitting rooms and picked out a few of these undergarments. I found the check out counter and handed the girl Sam's card. I didn't have to sign anything like Sam said might happen.

I thanked her like Sam had and started to leave when I saw a colorful part of the store. It was called Pink. I smiled and walked in and saw that it was like the other part of the store except a lot more colorful and there weren't just undergarments. There were pants, they looked like jeans but were called sweats and different shirts. Also, like Sam had mentioned, there were pajamas, which I now understood that users slept in.

I picked out two shirts, sweatpants, and then a few things that were shorter than the pants, they were called shorts, I should have been able to figure that out on my own. I got two pairs of pajamas, one set said Pink on the back of the bottom while the top said Let's Go All The Way on the front. I had no idea what that phrase meant but it must be important since it was on the top in the first place, right? The second set was a pair of shorts that said Pink as well and a shirt that was black and said Love Pink. I picked out two things called tank tops and then two more panties.

I was starting to not like shopping very much when I finished paying for the clothes. Was it always like this? Did you always have to buy this many things? I picked up my bag and then left the store, ready to find Sam and leave.

Sam was sitting on the bench with a phone in his hand. I sat down next to him softly. "Hi," I said with a smile. "I got everything I need and even those pajama things you were talking about. Here is your card back. Are we done now, because I am starting to become unamused," I told him as he looked up.

He chuckled at me but shook his head. "Almost."

"What else could there possibly be? I have to give the Grid some credit, it made stuff like this a whole lot easier," I said with a small laugh at the memory.

"Oh, just simple stuff, maybe a few shoes and some socks is all. But we can take a break if you want. We can go to the food court so you can try some human food," he said as he eyed the bags in my hands curiously for a second.

"Ok," I said as I stood as well as Sam. He led me to the food court and led me towards the lines. The amount of people here was even more than there were in the large halls, and it was much louder.

"I think the best place here is Chick-Fil-A. I know you will love it, it is one of my favorites. Do you want to try it?" he asked as he led me towards the small place.

"Sure," I replied as he steered us through a ll of the people. I saw these really tiny people then, very small, and very playful and energetic by the way the were moving around. "Sam are those users too?" I asked as I glanced at the little things again.

"Yes, Quorra, those are kids or you may have heard of them by the name children. They are not yet adults which is why they are so small, they have to grow and age first," he told me and I nodded in understanding. I had heard of children in a book before and from Flynn talking about Sam when he was a kid.

The children and the two adults, I was guessing those were their guardians or parents, if I am right, got into line behind us. There was a little girl and a little boy, both of them jumping around and pushing each other. The line moved slowly and I almost jumped to the ceiling when I heard this unfamiliar noise.

It was a cry, I knew that but it was very high pitched. I turned slightly and saw the little girl on the floor. I frowned as I understood, she had fallen or maybe pushed by her brother. "Is she ok?" I asked, concern filling my eyes.

"Yes, just throwing a tantrum, the other kid just took a toy from her," he told me and he looked partially annoyed as he glanced down at the kids but he was still smiling.

We were next in line and Sam ordered for both of us. He told the man that he wanted two number ones and a milkshake for him and then he turned to me. "Anything specific you want to drink?" he asked me.

I shook my head, looking at the options for drinks with confusion. I hadn't tried any of that. He got me a coke and we stepped aside to wait for everything.

After about three minutes they handed Sam a bag and two cups. I helped him and he led us to a table that was fairly high and had to chairs on either side of it. He set the bags down on the floor and I did the same. We both sat in the chairs opposite each other at the same time. I eyed my drink as he set down a bag on my side. "So what does this taste like? Anything like the livations?" I asked him.

"I don't know, I didn't need those, Quorra, remember," he said with a humored smile. "Just try it, I promise it won't kill you," he said as he put a tube looking thing into my cup and then one in his as well.

I placed my lips over the weird tube and then took a sip. I laughed softly as I felt it sizzle in my mouth. "It is really fizzy, it has a good taste though," I told him.

"The bubbly feeling is bicarbonate, I am pretty sure you have heard of that and most people like Coke," he told me. I nodded.

I took another sip as Sam took a sip of his drink. It was different from mine, it was white with mixed in black freckles of some sorts. He had called it a milkshake but I still had no idea what it was. "Do you want to try mine?" he asked sincerely as he pushed the milkshake closer to me.

"No, it is yours, Sam," I said as I moved the tube thing around in the cup.

"Quorra, it is fine, seriously," he promised as he pushed the drink closer to my side of the table. I hesitantly put my hand on it and he nodded for me to keep going. I brought the drink close to my lips and sipped on the strange liquid. It was harder to come up the straw but after a moment I could taste it.

He was right, it did taste good but it was very cold. "Why is it so cold, Sam?" I asked as I set his milkshake down.

"It is like ice cream and ice cream has to stay cold do it doesn't melt, the same rule applies with these," he answered me.

I nodded and copied Sam's movements as he opened a small bag like container. I pulled a sandwich out of mine and looked at it. "It is a chicken sandwich, it is very good and there are pickles on it too. Try it, I know you will like it," he told me.

I held the sandwich for a moment and then took a cautious bite. I smiled at the fact that I could taste, I had taste buds and they were telling me that this tasted good. "Mmm," I sighed as I chewed and swallowed the food.

Sam laughed and we both took another bite.

After we finished eating, or I ate as much as I could, we threw the food in these trash cans. Sam took me to a shoe store where we got my shoe measurements and then found a few shoes. In the end, we bought a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of boots like what I had on but only went to a little above my ankle, a set of boots similar to the ones I had in the grid, a pair of shoes like the tennis shoes but Sam called them something, and another shoe that Sam called bed slippers.

We walked back to the car that was parked in the car garage and Sam put the bags in the trunk of the car, or at least that was what he called it. We got into the car and Sam started the engine, backing out easily and leaving the large parking place after paying for parking there.

"Now, we just need to drop this off at my apartment and then return the car…" he said as I turned to look out the window, watching as we passed by buildings and trees and other neat looking things.

It took a while, maybe twenty minutes for Sam to pull in front of his home. It sort of reminded me of where I used to live, the simplicity of the structure. I guess him and his father had the same interests.

"Come on," her murmured as he stepped out of the car and I did a few moments later. He was typing on a key pad as I started to walk towards him and my eyes watched as a large door opened up.

"Wow," I murmured as I looked around the inside. Sam came to stand next to me. "This is your home?" I asked in amazement.

"It's your home now too," he said with a smile as he rested a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, make yourself at home." as he led me inside his apartment.

A loud yapping noise made me jump back then and I saw a small four legged figure coming towards us. "It's ok, it's just my dog, Marvin," he soothed with a laugh. "Hey, Marv, we have a guest," he said to the dog as it scampered over to me. It stood on two legs with its other legs on mine, still barking. Sam picked up the dog and held it in his arm as he pet the dog's head with his other hand. I neared the dog and imitated the gesture that Sam had made, stroking my hand over the tiny animals head.

"Aww, he is so cute. Do all dogs look like him?" I asked as I smiled at the big eyes staring at me,

"No, there are many different breeds, just like all of the different people that you saw in the mall today," he stated as he set the dog on the ground. The dog jumped up on its back legs and placed its front legs on my own legs. Its tongue was hanging out of its mouth and its ears twitched as it sniffed at me.

"What is it doing?" I asked as I turned to Sam. "Does it not like me?" I continued with a sad face.

"He is just smelling your scent. Dogs have amazing noses and that is how they recognize humans, by their scent, everyone has a different one and that is how dogs can tell who is who other than sight," he explained.

"Oh, ok," I said with a small laugh. After a moment, the dog hopped off of me and made a whining noise. Sam ignored it and started to walk towards the garage.

"Come on, let's get your things out of the car," he said as he looked at me from behind his shoulder.

It didn't take long to get the bag out of the car, only one trip and then up the stairs to a large room. "I am very glad that I cleaned my room the other day," Sam muttered with a gruff chuckle. He walked over to a wooden dresser with a large opening at the top. "Here, we can put your things in this for now. It was just sitting there anyways," he said as he placed the bags inside the large part of the dresser. He took the shoe boxes out and stacked them at the bottom. He placed the bags with the clothes on top and to the side of the boxes. I did the same with my three bags. "There are tags on them but all you have to do is cut them off when you wear them or you can cut them all off at once. But here," he said as he grabbed an object that was sharp and had two blades on it with a handle at the top. "I will put these scissors in here for you," he said as he put them on top of one of the shoe boxes and then shut the two doors.

I looked around the room briefly. It was very large, the walls a tan color, there was a large bed in the center that had a dark blue bed spread and pillows. The room was very neat and organized and once again plain, like Flynn.

Marvin ran into the room then, barking at Sam. I looked at the unusual creature as he ran out of the room and the back in again. Sam laughed and turned to me. "You want to come and take Marvin for a walk with me?" he asked.

I nodded and followed him out of his room. We walked down the flight of stairs and Sam walked over to his dog, putting something on Marvin's collar. The dog started for the door but Sam tugged on the thing that connected to his collar. "Hold on, buddy," he said as he grabbed a set of keys and a small bag that read Milkbone on it. He put the bag and keys in his pocket and came up to me. "Come on, we are going to go to the park," he said as he touched my shoulder softly.

"The park?" I asked as we walked side by side out of his home, pausing as he entered a code and shut the large door.

"Yes, it isn't too far away, maybe a mile. It is really nice there, and you can do practically anything," he said to me. He whistled and then Marvin ran and then slowed, setting a pace for us.

Sam was right, it was roughly a mile from where his house was. Along the way, he answered my many questions about objects and how things worked here. This world was much more complex than the one I used to live in.

We walked down a paved part of the park, Sam called it a sidewalk, we passed by other people, who smiled or greeted us kindly. There were other dogs, none of them looked like Marvin, some were very large while others were barely a foot off of the ground. There were a lot of children here, most of them playing in groups, either on the playground that Sam had pointed out or in this large field, playing a game called flag football. They were so animated, so energetic and ready to play. Some people walked by with a stroller that had a tiny and very adorable little user in it. Sam said that they were babies and were growing to be toddlers and then children. I wondered how small theses users could be but didn't ask, thinking that I would find out soon.

"Do you want to go on a trail? There is a lake near by and I think you will love it," Sam said as we neared a bunch of trees.

"Ok," I said. I had never been in woods before and I had never been to a lake. This would be fun!

As we reached the edge of the woods, Sam bent down and took the lead off of Marvin. "But what if he runs away?" I asked him as I looked down at Marvin, who was already pacing ahead of us.

"It's ok, he does that but he always comes back. I come here a lot. Anyways, he is a smart dog and never strays too far," he said with a smile.

We walked in silence for a few minutes and I listened to the different sounds. I could hear the wind whistling through the trees, I could hear small branches snapping, birds chirping, and then other noises that I couldn't quite place.

The trail was very hilly and sometimes I would slip on what Sam called pine straw. Every once in a while we would see Marvin, either chasing something or prancing alongside us. Sam was right, he was a very smart dog.

"Here, let's go this way, down the slope to the lake. Would you like to go down first or me?" he asked and I looked at what he was talking about.

My eyes widened at the large hill going down. I had never had to walk down something that steep and unstable before. He cliff on the grid was rock and was never on it, not even the outskirts of the grid looked like that. "Um, you can go first," I said as I took a step back slightly.

He smirked at me and started to walk down, grabbing a hold of branches to help him down the hill, sliding occasionally. He turned around after a few moments, realizing that I wasn't following him. "Come on, Quorra, it isn't as hard as it looks, just do what I do," he said as he came back up a few steps. I didn't make a move, shaking my head slightly. "Don't tell me you are scared of this," he said with a large laugh. "Let's see, after driving a light runner on a cliff that you could easily fall off of, jumping right into an attack, and then being held captive by CLU, you are scared of a hill. That is a really funny joke, Quorra," he said as he chuckled again.

I glared at him slightly but then shrugged. "I don't want to fall," I murmured as I took a few steps until I was at the beginning of the hill.

He stopped chuckling and his eyes softened. "I will help you, I promise you won't fall," he said as he held out his hand. I hesitated for a moment and then took his hand. He smiled and helped me down until I was where he was. "Now grab a hold of this branch so you can keep steady. Now step down twice, and plant you feet a little sideways so you won't slide," he instructed.

He slowly guided me down a little farther and I felt like I was getting the hang of it until I stepped on a green thing that was on the ground. It made me slide and I squealed as I started to loose my balance.

Arms wrapped around my waist, grabbing me and then holding me up. Sam steadied me slowly and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I should have said something, don't step on the green stuff, it is moss and really slippery," he murmured.

"Really, Sam," I said with sarcasm in my voice and he chuckled. His hands moved from my waist after he knew I was stable and started to move again.

We finally made it to the bottom and I looked out at all of the water. It was so pretty! Sam guided me to the dock, holding my hand and guiding me along the board walk. "Where does all of the water come from?" I asked him.

"I am not entirely sure where this water comes from, maybe the ocean. We are pretty close to it," he stated.

"You mean there is more water?" I asked, amazed.

"Yes, a lot more, about seventy percent of the earth is water," he told me.

"Wow, that is amazing," I breathed.

"Yea, it really is," he commented as he took a seat on the dock. I did the same and smiled towards him. I moved to dangle my feet off of the dock and Sam sighed. "Don't get in, I don't think you know how to swim and the last thing I need is you falling in," he said as he neared me again.

I nodded and sighed. "It feels so…peaceful here," I murmured. Sam didn't reply and I didn't mind, I liked the quiet. Sam's eyes were shut and I didn't want to interrupt him so I sat in silence for a few minutes..

I looked up at the sun, so high in the sky now but it looked like it was sinking the other way now. I don't think I would ever get used to how beautiful the sun was. I ended up resting my head on Sam's shoulder. "You were right about it," I murmured.

"About what?" he asked quietly, moving his head slightly to look at my face.

"The sun, you were right," I repeated softly.

He chuckled and I could feel his deep laugh vibrate my head. "Well, that is a good thing then, I'm glad that I actually got something right," he said to me.

"I love it here, Sam," I whispered as I looked out at the rippling water of the lake. "I am so glad I am here, and I am glad that you are here with me, Sam," I murmured as u rubbed my thumb over the top of his hand.

He smiled and turned his hand over, taking my hand in his larger hand. I felt warm then, comfortable, safe with him near me. Where his hand touched mine I felt something, I had no idea how to describe it but…it felt good.. "I'm glad that I am no longer alone too, Quorra," he murmured as he lifted his other hand and moved it across my forehead, moving my bangs to the side. The gesture was foreign to me and I wondered what it meant. Maybe it meant that he was happy. He moved his thumb over the left side of my face, moving slowly down the side of my forehead and then to my cheek and finally ending at my chin.

I looked up at him curiously and he smiled down at me. My wide eyes met his blue ones and I couldn't help but smile. I loved his eyes, they were the same color as mine or close, and they were the same as his father's.

Sam looked like he was trying to figure something out and I noticed the slight tilt of his head towards mine. "Sam…what are you doing?" I asked breathlessly. My voice was lost for some reason and a part of me instantly regretted me talking because he stopped.

He looked at me for a moment and moved his thumb over my face once more before letting go. He didn't answer my question and I wondered why but I didn't get much time before I heard barking.

I lifted my head from his shoulder and we both turned to see Marvin bolting towards us. Sam laughed as the dog skidded to a stop and walked to sit in his lap. "Ready to go, buddy?" he said as he glanced at me. "Are you ready to go? We can always stay a little longer if you want to," he said kindly.

"No, I am fine, thank you," I told him as he stood. He held out his hand and I took it, smiling as he helped me up. "Now, getting up is much easier than coming down, or at least for me it is," he mused.

"Ok but how will Marvin get up?" I asked as I looked at the little dog running towards where we came in.

"Just watch," he said as we walked off of the deck. My eyes widened in awe as the dog made it look easy. He was up the hill in seconds.

"Oh," I mumbled as we reached the hill.

"Here you can go up first," he said as he gestured for me to go ahead of him.

"No, if I fall I will knock you down too, that wouldn't be very nice and you would hate me," I said with a small pout.

He shook his head with an amused smile on his face. "I will catch you if you fall and I won't get mad if we somehow do fall, scouts honor," he promised.

I giggled and nodded listening to what Sam instructed me to do, making my way up the hill slope faster than I had come down it. We reached the top quickly and Sam grinned at me. "Not as bad, huh?" he said as he bent and placed the leash on the waiting Marvin.

"Nope," I murmured as we started to walk through the trail and then out of the trees and into the park again. "Where did some of the kids go?" I asked as I noticed that the park was emptier than it was before.

"Probably went home, they have school work to do, they sometimes come here after school for a while and then go home," he told me. "But not all the time."

I nodded, letting everything sink in. We made our way back to Sam's apartment and after he opened the large door, we stepped inside. Sam gave Marvin a dog treat and then let me give him one too. He told me that he had to fill up Marvin's food bowl and water bowl and then we would head back to ENCOM.

We made it back to ENCOM within twenty five minutes this time. It took longer this time because Sam said there was more traffic. Once he parked the work car in place we went up the elevator and then to a different office.

Sam knocked on the door and then opened it a few seconds later. "Hello, Alan," he said as he pulled me inside and then shut the door behind us. Alan looked up from his work and smiled at us.

"Oh, you are back, that is great. A number of people have already asked for you. Oh, and they set up your office while you were gone. It looks really nice, it even seems like something you would like," he said with a kind smile.

"Alright, did any one drop anything off?" he asked Alan.

"Just a few marketing things, of course you know about the leak, our head of marketing is making a huge deal about it but you don't have to worry about it. All you have to do is plug everything in to our system charts and you are set. If you need any help on how to do it, just call for me," Alan murmured.

"Alright, thanks Alan."

Sam and I walked back to his office and my eyes widened at how much it had changed. "Wow," Sam murmured beside me. "Alan was right," he said with a smile.

On the right side of the room there was a mini lounge area, two white cushioned chairs opposite each other, a couch sitting a little farther in between the chairs, and a glass table in the center. On the other side of the room, there was a glass desk with a few things that I didn't know on it. There were two plants on either side of it and then a flat panel thing on the wall that was showing some sort of video. In the center of the room was the main desk with a few folders on it and then in front of it were two large cushioned chairs also. The room looked so cool.

Sam walked over to his desk as I walked over to the flat thing mounted on the wall. "Sam, what is this?" I asked as I looked at the screen.

"It is a television, or TV, it is something that is used for our entertainment, watch movies, episodes, or music videos on, practically anything you want to watch is on it," he said as he picked up a folder with a stack of papers in it.

I turned back to the TV and watched the many figures move by it. I turned around again as I heard Sam sigh, pull out the rolling chair and take a seat. He opened up this thing on the desk and I watched as he typed on it. "That looks like something that Flynn described to me…" I trailed off as I thought for a moment. "A computer maybe?" I asked.

"Yes, or you could call this kind a lap top," he said and I saw one on the second desk as well. Before I touched it, a bookshelf with books on it caught my eye. I walked over to it and looked at the variety of books. Most of them weren't as big as the ones that I read. The biggest one though said Webster's Dictionary. I knew what a dictionary was and I thought that reading this would make me understand this world better.

I grabbed the book off of the shelf and started to read from the first word which was A. I thought that was very irrelevant but I continued to read it.

I was always a fast reader, very fast, Flynn said that it was inhuman because of how fast I read. It amused him but he knew it was because I am an ISO. He said that I used much more of my brain than the average human, a lot more. Reading came easy for me anyways, since I was patient, I could usually read a book in one sitting because when I was in the Grid, I had nothing better to do.

I could hear Sam as I read, occasionally sighing and then sometimes talking on his cell phone to a handful of people. Some people would enter the room and leave within minutes of dropping by. I only took a glance at them, trying to get as far as possible.

After a while, I heard Sam laugh. "How can you possibly read that? And why?" he asked as he looked at me from his desk.

"It is a quick way to learn as much as possible as soon as possible and I have patience, Sam," I said, not looking up from the book.

He made a grunting noise and he laughed again. "Well, not everything in that dictionary is going to mean something good," he informed me uneasily.

"So I have noticed, I am on the word Dullard right now. There are quite a few words that I find very…unappealing and pointless. What is the point of having words like that in use?" I asked.

"Umm…I have no idea, Quorra, they are just there. I don't know why…" he mumbled.

"Ok," I told him as I continued to move along the pages swiftly, racking my brain with the multiple words that I was learning.

I read for another forty five minutes until I heard Sam's sudden outburst. "Damn it, why isn't this working?" he said angrily and I looked over at him. He was practically glaring at the screen.

"That was one curse word, used as an expletive to express anger, annoyance, disgust, etcetera," I said to him. "So, what is wrong?" I asked him as I walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This stupid-wait…did you just recite that?" he asked as he turned to look at me with wide eyes.

"Yes, why?" I asked. "Can't you?" I prodded.

"No," he said with a disgruntled face. He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Maybe you know how this would work. I need to put this data onto that flow chart so that it can calculate the lost income from the program that was leaked but it isn't working," he grumbled as he pressed a few buttons and then an error popped up on the screen.

I studied it for a moment or two, watching as Sam continued to fail. Maybe there were instructions somewhere. I saw a little square on his desk that looked like what was on his computer. It was one of those cases for CD's. I turned it over and read everything and then opened it up and reading the small pamphlet quickly.

"May I try?" I asked him.

"You minus well, maybe I should go get Alan…" he trailed off as I entered the numbers into the computer and did what the instructions told me to do. The number showed up on the screen then with a cash sign on it. "How did you do that?" he asked, completely dumbfounded.

"I read the directions," I murmured.

"Wow, ok. Well, can you teach me how so I can finish so we can get out of here?" he asked with a smile.

"I can do it, it shouldn't take that long," I told him as I started to enter the list of numbers accurately.

"Quorra, I shouldn't-"

"Really, Sam, it is the least I can do, you are letting me live with you," I told him as I continued to type on the computer.

"Fine, I guess I will order us dinner then. How about pizza? We can eat it at the apartment," he said to me.

"Sure, Sam, although I have no idea what pizza is," I said with a smile. He chuckled and got on his cell phone and had to wait a few minutes before talking to someone.

I went through a number of pages until I reached the last one, there were about four pages, single sided unlike the dictionary that I was reading. "I think that is it?" I said to him. He looked up, his eyes wide.

"How did…" he walked over to see that I was really done and he shook his head in disbelief. "Wow, you are truly amazing," he said as he saved the work and turned the lap top off. "If only everyone worked as fast as you."

We left the building with a quick goodbye from Alan, who was leaving too. We rode Sam's motorcycle back home and my eyes widened as I looked at the sun. "Oh, Sam! It is so pretty! Is this sunset?" I asked as I looked at the sun. there were so many colors around it now, pink, purple, blue, orange, a dark yellow, even a light red color.

"Yes, Quorra, it is, a sight isn't it?" he said from behind his shoulder.

"Yes," I called back and fell into silence as I watched the setting sun some more. We made it back to his apartment and the sun was almost gone, I stood and watched it and Sam stood there with me. Soon, could no longer see the sun and the skies started to become darker. "Wow, that was amazing," I murmured as we walked into the apartment again.

We were welcomed by Marvin and we both paid him some attention before he dashed towards the door. Sam left me to get the pizza that some man delivered to us.

We sat down and ate the pizza. I liked the sandwich I had earlier but the pizza did taste good. Sam got me a glass of water and put two ice cubes in it. He handed it to me and I took a drink as he got himself one. As he was pouring the water he stiffened. I looked up to see his facial expression and hear his outburst. "Shit," he cursed.

"What's wrong Sam?"

**_Uh Oh! Cliffhanger! What is going on? Haha, only i know, lol. The only way for you guys to find out is if i can get seven reviews! I am not used to a small amount of reviews, maybe because there are a lot of people the read Twilight fics but...anyways! I want all of you guys to review! Sned me ideas, or even just say hey!_**

**_And aww, Sam almost kissed her...almost! I wanted to plunge right into a relationship between the two of them but I had to keep Quorra's charachter Profoundly naive and childlike, so my guess is that she knows about love and romance but she doessn't know how to experience or doesn't recognize the feelings_**

**_I have a theory and i need you guys opinion. Since Quorra came to earth without her disk, she is completely human, maybe just her brain acts as an ISO Since the disk held her digital DNA she has human DNA now because she came without it. These are just rambling that i had to think about because of future chapters. Please tell me your ideas/ theory or if you have any input!_**

**_Also, which point of view should it be next chapter? Sam or Quorra? Whichever gets the most votes will be in that POV. Please review, it means a lot to me and really keeps my stories moving! I am doing shout-outs next chapter so PLEASE?_**

**_Thanks everyone for reading and i hoped you like the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Ok, so here is my next chapter! And I want to say thank you for all of the reviews!_**

**_gleenarnialover, Tron, GottaLoveMEgan, ILovePie930, Leila, Vicki 22, Lola, Misha, Kenzie, Vagabond, Ginny, Emmy, LifeInBlackAndWhite, and GarrettSophiaHedlund! You guys absolutely rock for reviewing. I was going to update this chapter soooner but i still needed to have Quoora's reactions the same although it was through Sam's POV. That's right, Sams POV. Some of u guys went crazy, i was laughing at some of the reviews you guys sent! So here you go all of you Sam luvas!  
_**

Sam POV

Out of all of the things that I could possibly forget to do, it just had to be that. I got her clothes, shoes, two pairs of sunglasses because of her infatuation with the glowing sphere, a toothbrush, scented shampoo and floral smelling body wash that she picked out because she loved the smell, she even got freaking make-up, which somehow she knew how to use. I guess that was just a talent that any girl or woman knew no matter where they came from.

But somehow, in the midst of getting everything that she needed in this world, I had forgotten to get bedding. I hadn't thought all of this out, like for instance, where was I supposed to put it. I would have to clear out the other room upstairs to put it in there. Or at least a comfy blow-up mattress, I would have let her take my bed, like the good gentleman my father and then my grandparents had taught me to be. But now, I didn't have either option. I only had the motorcycle and it was almost eight, not enough time for me to get out of my apartment and find something that would have to do for tonight.

There was always the couch, I suppose, it wasn't a pull out couch but I could definitely sleep on it. I wouldn't make Quorra do that, I didn't want her to be comfortable, not cramped up on a cold leather couch.

As I was thinking, I hadn't noticed Quorra's worried and curious wide eyes looking at me. A small frown was planted on her face and it made her face scrunch up into an almost pout. "Sam?" she asked again from where she sat at the table across from my seat.

"Sleeping arrangements," I muttered to her as I grabbed my glass of water and took a seat at the table across from her.

"What about sleeping arrangements?" she asked as she took another small bite of pizza. "I thought there a bed upstairs, unless you don't use those for sleeping here, although I could have sworn Flynn had said…" she trailed off as she looked out the window at the now dark sky.

"They are for sleeping," I said as I shook my head, smiling at her. "You can have the bed upstairs and I will take the couch, it seems as the-"

"Sam Flynn, it is your bed so you sleep in it. Do not inconvenience yourself because I am here too. I can sleep anywhere," she told me as she crossed her arms on the table.

"No, you can take the bed, it is the right thing to do, and I want you to be comfortable here, it was my fault for not thinking of getting something while we were out," I told her evenly. "Really, don't worry about it," I said.

She shook her head. "Sam…" she sighed. Then her eyes lit up and she looked like she had just thought of the best idea in the world. "Why don't we share it?" she asked with a bright smile.

I grunted and shook my head. My father was very right about her, profoundly naïve and very child-like. I scratched my head, looking for an answer as to why that shouldn't happen but came up with nothing that I was actually going to tell her. "No…"

"Stop trying to be complicated, Sam. We are friends aren't we? I trust you, you trust me," she murmured.

"Yea, I guess," I grumbled as I looked out the window, staring at nothing, She really didn't understand.

"You don't trust me?" she asked and my head snapped over to look at her as I heard her voice quiver. "What did I do? Why don't you trust me?" she asked with a sad pout that had me backtracking immediately.

"I didn't mean it like that, Quorra. I trust you, you have proved that I can trust you on numerous occasions," I promised her with a small smile.

She smiled then and nodded. "Good, then we share it," she announced happily as she lifted her glass of water to her lips.

I sat there dumbfounded at the way she had just manipulated me without out even meaning to, she probably didn't even know that she just had. I chuckled softly at her and quieted when she looked up at me curiously. "But, I am not tired yet, Sam Flynn, I want to do something else before we go to sleep," she said as she brushed some of her bangs out of her face. "What do you do to entertain yourself here?" she asked.

"Well, there is TV," I said as I gestured to the flat panel on the wall. "Do you want to watch a movie, I have some popcorn and some little snacks to eat while we watch it," I told her.

"A movie, that sounds like fun! Flynn told me about movies, he said that there are so many out there, movies for everyone," she said with wide eyes as she jumped in her seat.

"Ok, a movie it is, do you want to pick a movie, you can pick any one you want," I told her as I stood and took her and my plates to the sink, rinsing them off and then putting them in the dishwasher. I put the box of leftover pizza away and then pushed in my chair. I walked in the larger part of the apartment and grabbed the remote, turning the television on.

"I don't know what kind of movies there are though, how about you pick this time," she said as she came to stand by my side.

"Alright," I murmured and I glanced at her. "Do you want to change into your pajamas while we wait?" I asked her softly.

"But I told you I wasn't tired," she said with a confused look.

I laughed. "You don't always have to just wear them to sleep, Quorra, they can also be for lounging or watching movies before you go to sleep," I told her.

"Ok," she said as she slowly retreated towards the stairs. I picked some out from a list from my On Demand section and decided to let her pick one that she thought would be good. I narrowed it down to: Inception, Grown Ups, The Other Guys, The Last Airbender, and Salt.

I sat down on the leather couch for a minute until realization hit me. I was going to sleep with her. Why did she have to be so innocent and unknowing about things. I don't even think she realized that I had almost kissed her today. I don't even know what came over me, I was never the romantic type guy and I never really thought about having a relationship before. I always thought that it would be time wasted.

But now I was starting to rethink. She wasn't like most girls, maybe because she was never really around any or any like the ones here. I loved how innocent she was, how naïve she was, how she was always willing to take on new tasks no matter how hard they seemed. She always seemed to be in a good mood, always optimistic about what the future had in store. She was different.

I made some popcorn and set out two sodas from in the fridge, also bringing a small thing of cherries and strawberries with me. Those were my favorite fruits and I could eat them for hours. After taking the popcorn out of the microwave, I put it in a bowl and then sat it on the coffee table, while I sat on the couch. I sat there for a few more minutes, thinking when I heard footsteps.

"Is everything ok, Sam?" Quorra asked and my eyes moved to the hall, where she stood.

"Yea, come here. You can pick from any of these," I told her as she came to sit next to me on the couch. I mentally sighed at what she was wearing. Note to self: no more Victoria Secret pajamas.

She was wearing flannel shorts that were a hot pink color and said Pink in black on the back. She was wearing a tank top that said Love Pink on the front.

We ended up watching Inception, Quorra picked it, saying that it sounded interesting and that she had never dreamed before so it would be interesting to watch some. I turned the lights off and grabbed two blankets, one for and one for Quorra but we only ended up using one.

Somewhere around thirty minutes into the movie, Quorra's small head ended up innocently resting on my shoulder. Occasionally, I could feel her warm breath tickle the skin of my neck or my ear. I tried to ignore the breaths as they caressed my skin, I loved the feeling and I enjoyed the warmth from Quorra's body so close.

Quorra was very good about not asking questions, only asking a few and staying silent most of the time, knowing that I wanted to watch the movie as well as herself. We settled the popcorn in between the two of us where a little crook was found from how close our legs were. Quorra liked the popcorn and she tried the cherries and the strawberries but she liked the cherries better.

The movie was quite long, somewhere around two hours and thirty minutes if I had to estimate it. I think Quorra was starting to wear out because she seemed a little groggy and sluggish when it ended. I cleaned up the popcorn and put the other things away with Quorra's help. Before I put the cherries away, Quorra grabbed them from my hold. "What were these called again? They were very good," she commented as she looked at the containers contents.

"They are called cherries," I told her and she smiled.

"And why can't you eat the stems to these cherries?" she asked with her round and curious eyes.

"Well, I mean I guess you can but most people don't," I said as I picked up a stem from a cherry that I had eaten a few minutes ago. "But," I started with a smirk. "You can do some fun things with it," I told her with a smirk.

"Like what, Sam?" she asked and before I could answer Marvin started barking, jumping up and running around in a loose circle.

"Ok, um…give me a minute, here, take them upstairs and I will be up in a minute, I should take him out before I go to sleep," I told her as I walked towards the garage door, putting in the code and watching as Marvin ran outside. I walked outside, watching my dog as he ran around for a few minutes and then slowly making his way towards me again. He barked once and I chuckled shutting the garage door back and giving him a dog treat. I patted his head and he licked my hand before going to lie down on his dog bed in the corner.

I smiled and made my way up the stairs. Quorra was sitting in the center of the bed and I grabbed a set of clothes and went into the bathroom to change. I usually just slept in my boxers but this time I put a t-shirt on since I had company or I guess I could say a permanent roommate. I walked out of the bathroom and Quorra shifted to one side of the bed. I sat down beside her and she smiled at me. "Now, tell me what you could possibly do with this little thing," she prompted as she held a cherry stem in her hand.

"Ok, what you are going to do is put it in your mouth and try to tie a knot with it only using your tongue. Do you get that?" I asked her.

"And you can do this?" she asked and I nodded, putting a cherry stem in my mouth and working it around so I could tie a knot with my tongue. I pulled it out about thirty-six seconds later and showed it to her. "Oh! That is so cool! I want to try," she exclaimed happily as she put the stem in her mouth. Exactly twenty nine seconds later she pulled it out and smiled triumphantly. "Oh! I did it, Sam!" she squealed as she looked at the tied stem in her hand.

Why was she so good at everything and I didn't even have to teach her how to do it and she did it perfectly. She was absolutely amazing. "Now its war, you just beat me, Quorra," I scoffed playfully as I plucked another cherry stem.

She giggled and plucked another on. "Oh, you are on, Sam Flynn," she challenged with a grin.

"Ok, on the count of three," I told her and she nodded eagerly. "One. Two. Three!"

At the same time we placed the stems in our mouths and watched each other as we battled to get the tie done first. I was making great progress, I only had one more step. I was going to win!

No.

Quorra pulled the stem out of her mouth and cheered happily. I was two seconds later than her. She started laughing, laying back on the bed laughing so freely. "Sam your face looked so funny!" she stuttered out in between laughs. Her laughing was contagious and I soon found myself laughing with her.

We quieted after a few minutes and I turned in enough time to see her wide yawn. "I think I am tired now, Sam," she mumbled as she sat up on the bed.

I looked over at the clock which read twelve twenty three in the morning. Man, It was late. I was going to have the hardest time getting up in the morning. At least I had coffee.

I stood and grabbed the extra pillows that I kept in my closet, placing two on her side of the bed and moving mine over. I pulled back the sheets and Quorra rolled out of the way as her side undid itself too. Quorra got into the bed as I turned off the light to the ceiling fan and then the bedside lamp. I smiled as I saw Quorra already curled up under the covers, her small head peaking out from underneath the many sheets. Her eyes were on me, those wide, blue, and curious eyes. I got into bed beside her and pulled up my side of the covers. "Goodnight, Quorra," I murmured before I yawned. I smiled at her once more before turning to my other side, trying to doze off.

Before I could close my eyes, I heard Quorra's slight intake of breath. "You really forgot, Sam Flynn, how could you, you promised," she said as she tapped my shoulder.

I turned to look at her with a facial expression that was a mix between sleepiness and partial annoyance. "What did I do?" I asked, calming myself slightly when I saw the smile on her face.

"You said that you would tell me what was wrong with the user that rang up the clothes at American Eagle and you said that you would explain the word perv to me. I have not come across it in the dictionary yet," she said with curious eyes.

I mentally groaned, she wasn't lying, she really didn't forget. I scratched my head uncomfortably, debating on actually telling her or just blowing her off and going to sleep. I decided on the first option though, she hadn't done anything to me and she was after all just curious about how people acted in this world. I didn't blame her.

It was just the topic I might have to go into with her. She was clueless on it most likely and I did not feel like explaining something like that to her. I would let her read all of the dictionaries she wanted to before that.

"Sam?" Quorra asked as she continued to look at me with her dazzling blue eyes. "He was mad at me, wasn't he? You don't have to hide it, I have dealt with people not liking me before," she murmured.

That statement made me upset and I instantly wanted to pull her into a hug but instead I just told her. "No, Quorra, I promise that he wasn't mad at you. He thought that you…were attractive," I sighed as I focused my eyes on the doorway to my room.

"Oh, I read that one in the dictionary. It is an adjective, providing pleasure or delight, esp. in appearance or manner; pleasing; charming; alluring: an attractive personality or arousing interest or engaging one's thought, consideration, an attractive idea; an attractive price," she said. "So he was thinking about me?" she asked with a smile. "That is very kind."

I huffed a sigh. "You aren't understanding exactly what I mean," I spoke softly. How was I supposed to explain this, I never had to explain it before. "Physically attractive, like your body. And I suppose perv can tie into what he was probably thinking. A perv is short for pervert and means that someone is thinking something they shouldn't, normally about the opposite sex…" I mumbled, trailing off, hoping that this topic was done.

Her eyes looked like she understood and I saw her nod her head. "Oh," she murmured quietly as she shifted slightly so she could look at the ceiling. I thought that the answer satisfied her so I started to try and go to sleep only to be interrupted a minute later. "Sam?" she asked as her head turned to look at me with her curious eyes again. I nodded, waiting for her to go on. "Do you think I am attractive?" she asked.

I sighed. How in the hell was I supposed to answer that? I had to admit it, I thought she was attractive, of course she was, apparently being an ISO meant that you were perfect. She was perfect, absolutely flawless from my eyes, so perfectly proportioned, perfect height, beautiful eyes and face.

She waited patiently for my answer. "Sure," I murmured.

"Sure can mean a lot of things, Sam Flynn," she stated.

I sighed once more before nodding. "Yes, I think you are attractive," I muttered and I was glad that the lights were off because I think I was blushing faintly.

She smiled sweetly and brought her hand up to run her fingers through my hair. "That is good because I think you are too," she told me.

What in the world just happened? I think that this innocent woman had just played me again, the second time today, or I guess yesterday now. I hadn't even realized that she had me wrapped around her finger. There was something about her that made me give in to her wants and needs. She had woven herself deep within me without even touching me.

"Goodnight, Sam," her voice trilled softly and I just lay there dumbstruck for a few minutes before I finally dozed off to sleep.

I could feel my body being shaken and I swatted at whatever it was. "Marvin, cut it out, let me sleep," I grumbled, my eyes still shut with sleep.

"Sam, please," I heard a voice whisper in almost a beg. My eyes opened then, remembering that I was not along in my room or my bed for that matter, Quorra was beside me.

"Quorra, what is wrong?" I asked, my voice heavy with the sleep that I had just woken up from.

"Sam, I can't-I am sorry! It's just-I don't," she was blubbering and as my ears started to really listen to her speak, I could hear the sobs in her voice. She was crying.

"Shh, Quorra, Shh, calm down, tell me what's wrong," I soothed as I reached over to the nightstand and turned on the bedside lamp. I looked down at her and I instantly felt guilty, she was suffering from what I could see. Her face was red, puffy, and wet from crying. "How long have you been up? Why didn't you wake me sooner, Quorra?" I asked her softly as I propped myself on my elbow, finding her hand underneath the covers with my other hand.

"I can't go to sleep, Sam and I can't wake you up, it was rude of me to do that," she murmured as another sob choked her breathing.

"It is rude of me to not be looking out for you, really Quorra, you should have woke me up, I really don't mind," I promised her as I found her hand and rubbed my thumb over the backside of her palm.

"Make it go away, Sam, please make it stop! Every time I close my eyes I see the Grid, I see everything that had just happened. All of the good times I had with Flynn, him teaching me everything," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "I miss him, Sam, and it hurts so much to remember," she spewed out between sniffles.

I guess I should have expected this. I mean, she had spent so many years and then however that added up in the Grid, with my father, probably hundreds of year. I mean, of course I missed my dad but I had already lost him once before and it didn't feel as dramatic this time. Maybe because I am older, or maybe I was just more prepared. But Quorra was the last of her kind because of him, he saved her and took her under his wing, teaching her everything that he knew and more.

"Shh, it's ok, Quorra," I murmured, trying to soothe her. I had no idea how to handle this so I just laid there trying to talk to her. We lay in silence, except for her small sobs for a few minutes until she quieted down.

"Thank you, Sam," she whispered quietly as she looked up into my eyes. "Go back to sleep, don't worry about me," she said, getting some of her regular tone back and then even smiling slightly.

"No," I told her as I reached for the lamp again but turned it off this time. I laid back down, scooting myself closer to Quorra and with my arms, pulling her closer to me. I placed one of my hands on the side of her stomach and the other held one of her hands, still stroking the smooth skin. "We will go to sleep together, you aren't alone here, I am going to be here for you. My father intended for you to not be alone when he made sure you got here," I said quietly as I rested my head on my pillows.

Quorra was silent for a handful of seconds before understanding. "Ok," she whispered as she shifted so her head was closer and then lifting her free hand and moving it to wrap innocently around the side of my neck.

I felt sleep start to evade me when I heard a jingling collar. Marvin. He would sometimes come up to my room and sleep at the foot of my bed where my feet were. He jumped up onto the bed and I felt him walk around it. In the darkness, I could faintly see him walked up to Quorra and sniffing her. He moved his head to look at me after a couple of moments, inclining his head to the side slightly. He bent down and licked her ear and part of her cheek. "Hi, Marvin," she murmured drowsily. Maybe she would finally go to sleep this time.

Marvin walked away from her and I saw him lie down at the end of the bed, closer to her feet this time. Well, that was a good thing, at least he liked her.

After about five minutes passed, Quorra's breathing changed, lighter and quieter than it was before. I sighed softly, glancing over at the clock. 3:23. I was really going to pay for this later but I guess it didn't matter since Quorra was comfortable.

I looked down at her peaceful face, so calm, so perfect. Her lips were parted ever so slightly as she breathed in shallow and even breaths. I watched as her body rose and fell again, hidden underneath the royal blue sheets and comforter.

I longed for something then, a nagging feeling was set deep inside me that was directed to this girl or woman in bed beside me. Something that I could hardly distinguish but knew exactly what it was.

I wanted to kiss her.

I wanted to feel her warm and perfect lips against mine in even the smallest of kisses. But I don't think she knew of physical love. Well, she probably knew some things from books she has read, but not enough to understand the concept. I wondered if she actually realized that I had almost kissed her on the dock by the lake yesterday. She looked confused and when she had asked me what I was doing, she had confirmed my thoughts. She only knew of the emotions and since she was an ISO on the grid she didn't have trued feelings. She only had what her systems told her.

Wondered if she liked me, more than a friend anyways. She had said that she thought I was attractive but I had no idea how she was thinking of it in her head.

I sighed and shook my head. I smiled down at her again and slowly started to doze off into slumber…

My eyes opened and squinted at the light that was coming through the windows in my room. Overnight, Quorra's head had ended up lying on my chest with her other arm still wrapped around part of my neck. I could still feel her hand in mine and I smiled. My free arm had wrapped itself around her so she was even closer to me, close enough to the point that part of her was partially on top of me. The rest of her was curled into my side from what I could feel. I let out a quiet but large yawn and I blinked a few more times. The sun was already up and it looked like it had been up for a while by how bright it was.

Quorra's body shifted slightly so her head was facing upwards to look at me. She was awake, her wide and electric blue eyes looking up at me with the same wonder and curiosity as usual. "Good morning, Sam, or at least that is what you call it, am right?" she mumbled and by the way that her voice was slurred she had just woken up to.

"Yes, good morning to you too," I murmured with a smile.

"I missed the sun rise, Sam, it looks like it has been up for a while though," she murmured softly as her eyes moved to the window for a moment.

"Don't worry, the sun will come up every single day, I promise. And to make up for you missing the sunrise, I will take you somewhere special where the sunset looks absolutely amazing," I told her.

"That sounds nice," she whispered quietly as her head rested on my chest once again. "I still feel like my energy is depleted, was I supposed to do something before I went to sleep?" she asked.

"Tired, Quorra, and no, you just didn't sleep well, the average human needs to sleep at least seven hours a day to keep energy levels up," I told her.

She nodded softly and we fell into silence again. Quorra's head turned to look at one of the beds die tables. "Sam, why is that light flashing?" she asked curiously as she looked at the small cordless phone on its base.

"It just means that I have a few messages from missed calls," I said as I pressed the voicemail button and let it speak.

"Oh, it talks to you? That is amazing," she murmured as she looked at the device from where it sat.

I heard Alan's voice in the message. "Hello, Sam, it is Alan. Look, I understand that you may be tired but you are CEO now. You need to be here at exactly 8:00. You are thirty minutes late and you aren't answering your cell phone. Please call me back."

I frowned at his voice and sighed loudly, glancing over at the clock that read 9:55. "Damn it," I hissed under my breath.

The second message was from Alan as well. "Sam Flynn, it is 9:00 right now, employees are starting to wonder where you are. You better not be ignoring my phone calls because your father would be very displeased about that. Would you please get over here."

"Shouldn't you have set an alarm or something, Sam? You shouldn't have forgotten about that," Quorra trilled as she sat up, unwinding herself from me. I missed the touch then and wished to pull her back in.

"I thought I had, I put it on my cell phone last night," I murmured as I the last message started to play, this message was from Alan as well.

"Why is your cell phone here? Remember just two nights ago I told you that I always slept with or near my pager. The same rule applies for you, even more so. If people have problems or need contact, you are the first to call. And it is running on 9:45 now. You are starting to have me worried. Is everything all right? Are you alright? Is Quorra ok? I can come over if something is wrong, I am here to help both of you."

Quorra was half glaring at me now. "You left your phone there? That was very irresponsible, Sam," she stated as she tapped my elbow. "you should probably call him back, he is probably worried sick right now," she stated. Once again, she was right. She seemed to have a good understanding or grasp on that. Maybe my father had taught her that.

I sighed and picked up the phone, dialing Alan's number, to my surprise, he picked up on the first ring. "Sam, thank goodness, where have you been?' he asked.

"Sorry, we just woke up, last night was…rough," I murmured as I glanced down at Quorra, who was pouting and her face looked sincerely apologetic. I smiled down at her and shook my head, letting her know that it was fine.

"Was she alright last night? Did she settle in well?" he asked.

"Yea, great," I said as I ran my free hand through my hair.

"Ok, I will cut you some slack this time but this time only since she is settling in. I will give you until 11:00, at the latest 11:30 to get here. There are many things to do here and we don't have time for our CEO to play hooky with a girl that they don't even know about," he told me.

I nodded but then spoke, remembering that he couldn't see me. "Yes, ok, thank you, Alan, I will be there soon," I said and then hung up the phone before he could say anything else.

"Did I get you in trouble?" Quorra asked with sad eyes.

"No, you didn't, we have some time," I said as I rested my head on the pillows again. "I still have to get some things done for you too. Alan, got a meeting so we can get your paperwork done, I need to get a mattress for me to sleep-"

"No, I don't want you to. Why? I am fine with sharing the bed, I liked sleeping with you," she murmured as she turned to look at me, her head just a few inches from my own.

I chuckled at her fierce reaction. It seemed as though as long as she was with me, she would be getting whatever she wanted. "Ok, well just the appointment then," I said as I stood, walking over to my dresser and pulling out a set of casual clothes. "Would you like to get a shower first?" I asked her.

"No, I will go after you," she said from where she lay on the bed. I nodded and picked out the clothes and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower…

I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off, putting on my clothes quickly. I opened the door to see Quorra still on the bed but now she was joined by Marvin, who was lying on top of her, licking her face. "Sam, why does he do that so much?" she asked me as I dried my hair with the towel.

"It means that he likes you, licking is a dog's way of a kiss," I told her as I put on my tie, standing in front of the mirror.

"A kiss…" she mumbled as she sat up, criss-crossing her legs. Marvin took a few steps back and bent his head, sniffing her crotch.

"What is he doing now, Sam?" she asked curiously as she pushed the dogs head away from her. I almost laughed at the odd face that she made.

"Marv," I said and then whistled. My dog's head snapped up and he jumped off of the bed. "He is still recognizing your scent," I told her as she stood up and turned to face me.

"Oh, ok," she said softly as she stared at Marvin again, who was now sitting on the floor beside the bed.

"So, how about some waffles and bacon for breakfast? Maybe some Coffee? I can prepare it while you get a shower and get ready," I suggested to her and she smiled happily up at me.

"I have heard of those foods in books I have read but I have no idea what they really are," she informed me. "But sure?" Her answer sounded more like a question and I chuckled.

"It will be great, you will like it," I promised her as I turned to face her. She was sitting with her legs criss-crossed on the edge of the bed with her hands encircling part of her ankles, her eyes on me, watching me with deep sapphire eyes. "As for getting a shower, a put your things out for you, a towel too," I murmured as I brushed down my hair quickly and set the brush down again. "so…I will leave you to it," I mumbled as I shifted towards the door, seeing her stand in the process.

"Ok, Sam," she answered as I shut the door behind me, giving her privacy. I walked down the stairs and my dog followed me eagerly. I let him out and once the door was open he was already sprinting out.

I smiled and turned, walking over to the kitchen and pulling out the Eggo Waffles box out of the freezer. I also got the bacon package that was resting in the fridge. I turned on the television and left it on the random channel that was on as I cooked breakfast. After a few minutes of cooking the bacon I put the waffles in the toaster. I heard the shower turn off then and smiled at my perfect timing. I turned on the coffee maker and put in enough for the two of us. I hoped she would like coffee, some people didn't like it off the bat.

I put out two plates and then stopped to close the garage door as my dog pranced in, going over to his water bowl and drinking. Once the waffles popped out of the toaster, I placed them on the plate. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and into the room, I glanced up to see Quorra walking into the kitchen.

She was wearing black jeans that flared slightly at the bottom and a yellow blouse that we had picked out yesterday from the mall. She was wearing flats to finish the look. "Ah, you look nice," I complemented kindly as I turned my head to check on the popping bacon.

"Thank you and so do you," she said back as she came to stand next to me. "So what is this called?" she asked simply.

"This is bacon, and those on that plate are waffles," I told her as I turned the bacon over with a fork.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"Sure, you watch the bacon and flip the last two over while I get the syrup for the waffles, ok?" she nodded excitedly as she took the fork from my hand. I walked over to the fridge again and took out the syrup, walking over to where I had the plates and then pouring the syrup onto the waffles easily. Before I started on the second plate I heard a shrill cry and metal clatter to the floor.

"Ow, that hurt!" she yelped as I turned to see that her hand was placed around the handle. In the next moment, she had jumped away from the skillet of bacon, looking at it with scared eyes.

"Come on, Quorra, you had to know that the skillet was hot," I partly complained as I put the syrup down and turned to look at her, walking over to her.

"Well, obviously I didn't, Sam!" she said in the same tone that I had used with her. She held her hand in the other as she looked at me.

I sighed. "Let me see it, Quorra," I said softly as I reached out to grab her arm. She obeyed me and hesitantly opened her hand. A red mark was apparent on a large portion of skin on her palm. I looked at it and reached to touch the skin but she pulled away immediately.

"No, don't touch it! It hurts," she said in a slightly panicked voice.

What was I supposed to do about that? I tried to think for a minute and then went with what I knew. I had to run it under cool water. "Come on, Quorra," I said as I grabbed her wrist and she once again jerked away from. She must have never felt pain from a burn before and it was overwhelming her. "Stop it, Quorra, we need to run it under some cold water."

"No, I told you that it hurts. It stings and it will make it worse," she said as her horrified eyes locked with mine.

"Seriously, Quorra, stop, just for a minute or two, it doesn't hurt," I promised as I started to guide her backwards towards the sink. She apparently didn't want to go there and restrained against me. "Stop it, now, I am trying to help you," I said pushed against her, finally pinning her against the counter top where the sink was.

I turned the faucet on as I held her waist in place with the other. She slowly realized that she wasn't going anywhere and calmed herself slightly. I reached for her hand and she didn't resist. I placed it underneath the faucet and she winced slightly but then calmed herself as the temperature started to ease the burn. "Thank you, now just stay there for five minutes, ok?" I said as I went over to the skillet and turned the burner off. I finished putting syrup on the waffles and then two strips of bacon on each of our plates. I grabbed two forks and two knives setting them on napkins next to the plates that sat on the table. "Ok, you can take it out from under there now, Quorra," I told her. I walked over to a cabinet and took our medical tape. "I am going to put this over it because that is going to kill whenever you touch something," I said.

Her face grew even more horrified then. "Kill me? I am going to die?" she asked with anxiety in her voice.

"No, it was just an expression, Quorra. It will just hurt," I said with a small laugh as I grabbed the white medical tape around her hand three times. "There," I said as I tore the piece and wrapped it the rest of the way around.

She looked at the bandage for a minute as I led her to the table. "Here, we need to be leaving soon ,you should eat," I told her as she sat down and I turned to grab to coffee mugs and proceeded to pour the coffee into the mugs. "Here you go, now this is a little hot too so you should wait for it to cool off," I told her as I sat across from her.

She had cut up the waffles into symmetrical pieces and had just put one in her mouth. She chewed on it and then swallowed, looking up at me instantly. "It tastes good, Sam!" she said as I cut mine up and took a bite as well.

Quorra tried the coffee and she didn't like it plain so I decided to put some cream and sugar into hers and she ended up drinking almost all of it. When we finished, she helped me clean up and we both grabbed our jackets.

Next stop, ENCOM.

**_Lame ending, i know. i wanted to end it there. Also, sorry if you guys thought it was cheesy. i think that Quorra's character will bring out Sam's soft side so that is why he seems so sweet in this chapter. _**

**_Sp what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Think i should stop trying and go back to Twilight?_**

**_Please review and I will do what i did last time. 7 Reviews and the chapter will be up some time between Saturday and Sunday! Reviews make my day you guys!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_So here is my next chapter! And thanks for the many reviews that i recieved, you guys rock! Hope u guys luv it! ENJOY!_**

Quorra POV

The elevator doors closed to the first floor as Sam pressed a button that read twenty three on it. I watched as the button lit up and the elevator started to move upwards. Sam said I would get used to the feeling but I wasn't yet, maybe it took more time. I turned and pressed my face to the clear glass backside of the elevator, looking out at the many building. The ground became farther and farther away from us and as the elevator continued on its rise, I could see the yellow sun again.

It was way up in the sky now, not like the sunrise or the sunset, it was almost centered into the blue skies, which meant that it must be getting close to the middle of the day. I loved the sun, it was so bright, so warm, I could feel its rays dancing on my pale and cool cheeks, warming my skin against the glass. I laughed freely at nothing in particular, I was just very happy.

I felt a slight tug on my arm and I jumped, turning to see Sam looking at me with an amused smiled. "As amazing as this may seem, we have to get off now," he told me softly as he pulled me out of the elevator. I walked with him until we stopped at his office. He pulled out a set of keys from his pocket but the door opened from the inside.

Alan was standing on the other side of the door, his arms crossed and a frown on his chest. He beckoned us inside and then shut the door behind us. "Look," Sam started with an uneasy shake of his head. "I know that I messed up, but I am here now. That is what really matters, right?" he asked.

"Nice try, kiddo, but regardless of you being here now, you were still three hours late. Not a very good impression on your first official day here. Once people here see that you actually care about ENCOM, we can cut you some slack, but now it is just making you and me look bad," he stated and then he placed his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You have responsibilities now, Sam, you have to take things more seriously. It is not a game anymore," he added in a softer voice.

"I know, I know, I am sorry, it won't happen again, I promise," Sam murmured. "So what needs to be done?" he asked as he started to walk over to the large desk in the center of the room.

"Actually to your extreme luck, not much. John Gallagher will drop by with monthly reports around noon and the two of you will discuss the profit for a few minutes. There is a meeting at one o'clock, oh, and as for Quorra," he started and my head snapped up to look over at him. As he had been talking with Sam, I had retreated over to the bookshelf in the corner, about to pull out the large dictionary that I planned on finishing today. "I got an appointment set for you at five o'clock. I will come along with the two of you to assist in the paper work since she needs guardians. I talked to my wife last night about her, she is ok with it. But she wants to meet you, Quorra," he commented as he looked over at me. "She wanted to invite the two of you over to dinner tomorrow," he went on.

Sam nodded. "That would be great actually, I haven't seen Lora in a while. How is she doing?" he asked Alan kindly.

As Alan told Sam about Lora, his voice changed, he sounded happier, more content than he just had. The way his face was set told me that this woman meant a lot to him. Flynn had told me about the concept once or twice. He told me that on earth people would find someone that they shared an incredible bond with. This person meant a lot to them and both persons cared deeply for each other. He told me that the feeling was love. I didn't understand and he told me that I would eventually. He told me that I would know when I was feeling it.

I looked back at Alan and saw a look in his eyes, a look that Flynn had when he talked about his wife. That must be who Lora was, Alan's wife, his loved one.

Could I ever really feel that emotion like Flynn had promised, and how would I know that I was feeling it? I looked over at Sam, now seated in his chair at his desk, typing on his laptop. Sam was special to me and when I was around him I experienced new feelings that I didn't understand. Maybe he could tell me what they were. Or maybe the dictionary would tell me, so far it had taught me a lot about this planet. Maybe it had the answers to that too.

Alan left after a few minutes as Sam continued looking over some papers and typing data on his computer as I read through the dictionary. There was a rough knock on the door and before Sam could answer it or say 'Come in', the door opened sharply. A man came into the room and he looked angry for some reason but he looked like he was trying to compose it. Once he took a few steps in, I saw a smile creep onto his face, but it seemed very ingenuine, fake.

"Mr. Flynn, it is very nice to see you, I have just come by to drop off the monthly records," he stated in an almost gruff tone and for some reason I got the feeling that he didn't like Sam. I wondered why, why wouldn't he like Sam? Sam was no nice, so kind that he was hard not to like.

They greeted each other with a handshake and smiles. His name was John just like Alan had said. John took a seat opposite of Sam and he opened up the folder, diving into a conversation about what the papers information held. I returned to my dictionary, wanting to ignore this seemingly rude man.

There were some strange words in this dictionary, words that I had never even known of before. There were things that humans did to each other that horrified me, while some of them fascinated me, and then another handful had me completely confused. I read some of the words over again and again, trying to understand but the subject was completely foreign to me. There were a lot of curse words too, some that I had no idea people said or even wanted to say. Why would you insult someone like that? Why would you want to bring others down?

"Is that a dictionary that you are reading?" a voice asked and I looked up to see the man opposite of Sam staring at me with the strangest of faces. His mouth was slightly ajar as he looked at me with a shocked and partly disgruntled expression.

"Yes," I answered easily. Why did he ask that question when it was clear that I was reading it? I had it in my hands, looking at each of the pages as I read them. If that wasn't reading, I didn't know what was.

"Sam, I don't think you introduced me to your…friend, who is she?" John asked as he looked at me with peculiar eyes, eyeing me up and down.

"That is Quorra, Quorra, this is John," Sam said in an even tone, as if he wanted to be done talking about me. I was with him on that, for some reason, I didn't want to trust this man.

"Well, Quorra, it is very nice to meet you," he said as he walked over to me and stuck his hand out. I shook his hand with a shy smile . "Are you two dating? Wow, Sam, what a pretty one you have found," he stated and once again, I had no idea what he was talking about.

Before I asked though, Sam interjected. "We're just…no," he said simply as he looked towards me with a frown. No to what? Sam understood exactly what he meant but I had no clue as to what this man meant by his sentence.

"No dating, eh?" he asked with a small grin as he looked down at me again and then back at Sam. "Oh, I see how it is, just keeping her around for convenience?" he questioned as he chuckled lightly.

"No, we are just friends," Sam stated in a harsher tone. I looked over at him, silently asking what was going on. He shook his head at me and looked towards John. "Please, can we finish this, I have a meeting that I need to go to soon," he said.

John left me be then but every few minutes I would catch his eyes as I looked up from the dictionary. I was brimming with questions now and I found it harder to focus on the dictionary, causing my reading to slow as I let my mind wonder. I had successfully but slowly made my way to tsunami when the man left the room with a farewell to us both.

Once he shut the book, I placed the dictionary down and stood, walking over to Sam's desk. "Sam, what was he talking about? I didn't understand what he was saying," I said in a calm voice as I glanced towards the door.

"He was talking to me about sales of the previous month and-"

"No, not that part, I understood that. What did he say to me? What did he mean?" I asked intently, waiting for my answer.

He sighed and shook his head. "No, don't worry about it, he didn't know what he was talking about, you wouldn't understand anyways," he told me as he looked back down at the screen to his laptop and started to type again.

"Sam, please tell me. I can't learn if you don't teach me what I need to know about this world," I said as I pushed on the back of the commuter, smiling as it closed. I had seen Sam do this yesterday, before we left the office.

He sighed again, louder, probably letting me know that he was annoyed. "Ok, Quorra, what do you want to know, you have my attention," he said and I watched as a small smile tugged at his lips.

"What did he mean when he said, 'Are you two dating'?" I asked him first.

He chuckled softly and I saw a small twinkle in his eyes then. "I am pretty sure that you have read it in the dictionary but the way that we use it can be different in context. He meant a relationship, like going out. Do you understand?" he asked me and I frowned, shaking my head at him. "Ok…" he trailed off, trying to think of a different way to explain it to me. "When humans are interested in other humans, kind of what I explained to you yesterday about attraction, do you remember that?" he asked me and I nodded eagerly, starting to put the pieces together. "So when that happens, there is a connection or strong bond between the two people. They do things together, go out places, maybe dinner, a movie, anything really," he told me.

"Oh, so like you and me?" I asked. We went placed together and I shared a bond with him, right? He's my friend.

"Mmm…no," he stated and I caught something on his face but before I could distinguish it, it was gone. "No, we are not dating."

"But it sounds like we are, why did you tell him no-"

"We aren't, you aren't understanding, Quorra. People who date each other are also known as couples, they date each because they really like each other, or even love each other. They show physical love at times too, it isn't as simple as you think it is," he told me with a sigh.

"Like…?" I asked, trying to learn as much as I could then about this dating thing. It sounded very interesting.

"No, we are not getting into that, if you want to know about it so badly, you can get on the computer and Google it," he said to me with a tired expression.

"Ok, I will," I said simply as I stood and walked over to the desk with a smile. Now I could find my answers a new kind of way.

"Actually, on second thought, don't do that, Quorra," Sam said as I sat down in the desk.

"Why not?" I asked him ,genuinely confused.

"I will tell you when you need to know, ok," he said as he looked over at me with a small smile.

"Promise?" I asked him with a small pout.

"Yes," he replied with a smile and then stood. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go to the meeting, you will be ok here while I am gone, right?" he asked me softly as he reached for the handle to the door.

"Sam, really?" I said with a frustrated face.

"I am serious, no leaving the room, no wondering around the office or the streets for that matter, ok?" he said as he turned to look me in the eyes for a moment. I glared at him and stuck my tongue out at him. He smiled and nodded at me. "I am taking that as a yes then. I will be back soon," he promised and swiftly left the room.

While Sam was gone, I decided to help him out with his work like I had yesterday. There were a few documents open and papers that matched with the files. I quickly learned how to use the different programs and then set to work. As I typed in the work, I wondered why Sam was so protective, he was worse than his father was about me. Of course I was used to the limitations but Sam seemed to be a little more enforcing with me. I looked at the medical tape on my hand that Sam had done earlier. Ii laughed to myself at how I had acted against him when he was trying to help me. I knew that he was trying to help but I was scared at the time.

Once I was finished, I started spinning in the chair. It was so much fun!

"What are you doing, Quorra?" I heard a voice ask and smiled when I knew it was Sam.

"I am spinning! Come join me, Sam! It is so much fun!" I giggled as I stopped the chair so I was facing him.

"Quorra, I need to finish a few things," he told me and I shook my head at him, my smile growing larger.

"No, you don't, I finished it for you! Surprise!" I squealed happily as I jumped up and ran up to him, hugging him, smiling to myself as I felt that warm feeling in my stomach soar at the contact. "I missed you!" I told him as I led him over to his desk. "Now, spin with me, silly," I said with another laugh.

He chuckled. "I think that coffee is finally kicking in, you have entirely to much energy," he told me with another laugh.

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, stopping and pretrending to be more serious. "Because I can act like this if you want me to," I told him in a droning voice as I crossed my arms and frowned. "See?" I added in the same voice.

He laughed harder this time. "Oh, Quorra, what am I going to do with you? And no it is not a bad thing to be bubbly, I think it can be a good personality trait," he added with a smile.

"Good, because we are spinning, now sit," I instructed him as I pushed on his shoulders and he sat down with an amused smile. I sat down in his lap and his arms wrapped around me, positioning me so we were both more comfortable. I moved my feet in an attempt to reach the floor but I couldn't quite reach. "Come on, Sam, spin us," I said happily as I pushed off of the desk, starting to spin us and Sam moved his feet across the floor to keep us going. We both were laughing freely and after a few moments Sam slowed us to a stop. "Why did you stop?" I asked him with a pout.

"I am dizzy, aren't you?" he asked me and then I registered the queasy feeling.

"Oh, yes, I am! This is the fun part! Stand up and try to walk in a straight line. I tried it yesterday, it is funny!" I squealed as I jumped up and started to walk in a zigzag line. I heard Sam's laughter behind me and I smiled at him.

I giggled softly and our heads turned to look at the door as we both heard a knock. When the door opened, we saw Alan. We were still laughing as he walked in and shut the door. "what are you two up to?" he asked with a happy smile. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, Quorra," he added with another smile.

"Oh, yes! We were spinning in the chair, it was fun," I told him as I calmed my laughs.

He smiled down at me and then turned to look at Sam. "Have you finished everything?" he asked him.

"Yes, Quorra actually took that upon herself while we were on the meeting. By the way, thank you, Quorra, that was very thoughtful," he said to me and I smiled in return.

"That's good. Are you two ready to go? We can take my car if you would like," he told us.

"Actually, I think we will take the motorcycle, I promised that I would take Quorra to see the sunset afterwards, so just in case we are running late, we can just take off when we are done," he said to Alan. "But thanks."

"Oh, Sam, can I drive it?" I asked as I turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"Um…no, maybe we should wait until we get you a drivers manual. Your driving is good and all but you need to know the rules to driving in our world first, ok?"

"Aww, really," I said with a small pout. "Can we get one now then? I want to learn," I murmured softly

"Do you mind Alan?" Sam asked as we both turned to face him.

"Not at all, there is a drivers Ed. Place on the way, drop by and get her a booklet. We can get her a license from the place since you say she already knows how," he said to us.

We left the building quietly, getting into our separate vehicles and then getting onto the busy streets. The place was only six miles down the road and just like Sam had promised he stopped by a little store and got me a drivers manual. Alan was waiting for us on the outside of the large building and together we went inside. We rode the elevator up ten floors and Alan lead us to a lobby. Sam and I sat down on one of the couches as Alan signed something to let the people know that I was here.

The driving booklet was small and it only took me a few minutes to read and study and then fifteen more minutes to memorize and reread. Sam sat beside me, shocked that I could actually understand everything at the pace I was reading at. He even tested me on some of it, only to be even more surprised when I got everything right. "Now that is a talent," he told me with a quiet chuckle.

"Not really, everyone I knew could do that," I said back to him with a smirk.

"Alan Bradley, Mr. Fletcher is ready to see you," a woman in black said as she stood at the door, waiting for us. The three of us stood and followed the lady into the office. She led us to a large office and then opened the door, talking to someone and then letting us in.

"Ah, Alan, it is nice to see you again, how are you?" the man asked Alan. The man's name was Mark and Alan was friends with him, something about going to college together. "So what will I be doing for you today?"

Alan explained what he needed and Mr. Fletcher did exactly as he was told. This man didn't ask any unnecessary questions about me and I liked him for that. In the end, we had chosen the name Quorra Garner as my official name and my age was twenty-four. Mr. Fletcher sent us to another part of the building as he finalized the paper work, pass port, and few licenses. He said that I needed to get blood working, which I had no idea what that was but I soon found out that it wasn't fun. It hurt, no one told me that it would, not even Sam. I stuck through it though, knowing that for some reason I needed to get this done. They sent us back to Mr. Fletcher's office as they waited for test results.

After about an hour of waiting, he came back into his office with a folder in his hand with papers in it. "She checks ok, perfect actually. The health insurance has her blood working now for future reference and everything is legalized. You are good to go," the man said.

After a short thank you, we left the building. Alan reminded us of dinner tomorrow before getting into his car and heading to his home. Sam turned to me with a smile. "Do you remember how to get home from here?" Sam asked me with a grin.

I thought for a moment and then smiled. "Yes, we head back towards ENCOM, take a left at-"

"No, I know that, I was just making sure. Do you want to drive?" he asked me as he pulled the keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of me.

"Yes, Sam, can I" I asked and he responded by handing me the keys and stepping aside. Sam put the folder into a small backpack that had brought with him and then slung it over his back. I got onto the front of the motorcycle and Sam got on behind me, mirroring my movements, wrapping his arms around my waist. I liked feeling his arms around me, it felt good…it felt right.

I backed out of the parking space after pulling up the stand with my foot and then drove out of the parking lot. The controls were different from the light runner that I was used to driving, the steering on this bike reminded me more of the light jets that were on the Grid. I kept my eyes fixated on the road, knowing that I couldn't let my curiosity get the better of me now. I looked for street signs, speed limits, and of course the traffic lights. Soon, we were in Sam's apartment, where I parked the bike where he normally did.

"Wow, that was great, Quorra," Sam said as he got off of the bike and helped me off. He took the folder out of the backpack and stored it away in a safe place. "So would you like to eat first or go see the sunset?" he asked me as he went to go feed his dog.

"See the sunset," I replied quickly.

"Of course, why did I even ask that?" he said with a laugh as he excused himself to go change into more casual clothes. He came back down stairs after a few minutes wearing a t-shirt and jeans, putting on his leather jacket as well. He grabbed a jacket for me and then whistled for his dog. "Come on, Marvin, we're going out," he called as he got the dog leash and attached it to Marvin's collar. "Ready to go?" he asked me.

"Yes," I murmured and we left the house, walking on the side of the lake. There were ducks and geese in the water. Sam had told me about them yesterday, he even let me feed some of them.

Quorra, I never asked but how is that burn on your hand?" he asked me sincerely as he looked down at my left hand.

The burn on my hand was truly a pain, a real bother but I didn't tell Sam that, and it only really hurt when it tapped against something. "It is fine, I have barely noticed it," I lied as smoothly as I could.

"I have some stuff for it at home that you should probably put on it before you go to sleep tonight, to help it heal faster," he said to me.

"Ok, Sam," I answered as we walked into the park. "Are we going to the pretty lake again?" I asked with excitement. I liked the lake, it was pretty, and there was so much water!

"Yes, the sunset is beautiful there, but you will have to see it for yourself so come on," he added as he pulled me along with Marvin at our sides. Sam undid his collar when we reached the trail, just like yesterday and Sam and I walked along the trail, him answering my many questions about the trees and plants.

Sam helped me down the slope again but I found it much easier the second time than yesterday. I didn't slip at all this time. We walked onto the dock and Sam pointed to where the sun was, we still had a few more minutes. I sat down leisurely on the edge of the dock, taking my shoes off and letting my feet swing over the platform. The water was not as clear as the one that was on the Grid, at my old home but I could still see my reflection. I swirled my big toe into the water and jerked it back at the temperature change. "It's cold," I said to Sam in an amazed voice.

"Yes, it usually stays cool but it is October after all, it will start to cool down around this time," Sam said and I saw his reflection join with mine. He took a seat next to me and we silently awaited the sunset. The sun was sinking lower and I could see the colors in the sky starting to transform. Starting as an orange yellow color like the sunrise but then changing into many different beautiful colors. Tonight, they sky held blue, purple, a pinkish color with a hint of red finally a vibrant orange color before the sun disappeared behind the mountain. "Oh, Sam! It was even more beautiful the second time!" I squealed as I threw my hands around him in a hug. I was so happy, elated, that I got to see the sunrise again. "There are so many pretty colors," I squeaked with pure happiness as I hugged him tighter.

Sam nodded and sighed. "Yea, it is amazing," he murmured to me and then his next move took me by surprise. He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me like he had when we were on the bike and when we were in the rolling chair. I still enjoyed the feeling, so much that I wondered why. "How about a night out in the city?" he asked me as I rested my head on his shoulder. He felt so warm to me that it made me smile despite not knowing what he meant.

"What does that mean, Sam?" I asked softly.

His soft laughter moved our bodies in unison. "Go out tonight and let you sight see, we can do whatever you want, go anywhere you want to go, the night is all yours," he told me with a smile.

"That sounds like fun, thank you, Sam," I said with a big smile. "I really appreciate everything that you are doing for me, Sam, you have no idea-"

"Quorra, don't worry about it. You were the teacher while I was the teachee in your world, now I get to be the teacher and you the teachee in mine," he declared.

"I don't believe that teachee is a word, Sam, it was not in the dictionary," I announced with a laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck like I had last night or this morning when he helped me go to sleep.

"Well, I will contact the writers and we will just have to see it next year," he told me.

I beamed at him, lifting my head so I could look at him. "Your eyes look just like your father's, that teal and blue color," I told him as I reached my hand up to trace his eyes with one of my fingers. He grinned at me but didn't utter a word. My fingers started to move across his face without my permission but I didn't stop it. For some reason, I liked it, probably a little too much. I moved my fingers up the ridge of his nose and then to his forehead, stroking my thumb across the top. I raked my fingers through his blond hair and sighed at the softness. I moved my hand to his cheek, tracing the outside of one and then the opposite.

There was something I wanted but I couldn't place it again, I felt the feeling before, with Sam, so he had to know the answer to the question, right? "Sam…" I started and noticed that my voice was barely above a whisper and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, so loud that Sam could probably hear it. What was going on? "…There is something that I want but…I don't know what," I continued as my fingers moved to his chin. "I…" I trailed off again because I didn't know what else to say.

"I think I know," he told me an I saw a slow and serene smile spread across his face.

"Well, I don't, tell me," I said as I looked into his blue eyes that were becoming harder to see because of the darkness slowly enveloping us. He moved his hands to rest on either side of my cheek and smiled down at me.

"Are you sure?" he asked me and I think his face neared mine a centimeter or two at that time. I nodded swiftly, curiosity was now eating me up. What was going on? What was I feeling?

Then my thoughts turned off. His lips pressed against mine softly, moving slightly, caressing my own tenderly. That was what my body yearned for but I sat there in his arms, frozen, unsure of what to do. I saddened as he pulled away from me, looking at me with curiosity.

My face dawned in realization. That was called a kiss. Sam had just been kissing me. I shook my head in defeat. "I don't know how to do that, you must realize that," I told him as I brushed my fingers over the lips that had just been on mine.

He nodded but I heard him sigh as well. "We can stop if you want to, or I can attempt to show you how," he suggested to me with that familiar glint in his eyes as he let out a small chuckle.

"I liked it, show me how," I stated with a smile. He breathed out a chuckle and nodded at me. He repositioned me, lifting me slightly so he could shift my body so I was facing him. I sat facing him now with my legs wrapped around him loosely. He took my chin between two of his fingers and lifted my head softly.

"It is natural, I suppose the simplest way to put is just…try to move your lips with mine," he instructed me softly. I nodded softly and waited as his lips neared mine. He pressed his lips to mine for the second time and once again my heart raced. I measured what he did, noticing how his lips moved and how his lips were parted slightly. I did the same and slowly just like him, started to work my lips with his.

The sensations that I was feeling was amazing, it absolutely thrilled me. I was still nervous though. What if I was doing this wrong?

I felt one of his arms move around my waist as his other hand moved underneath my chin, lifting my head higher towards his own. This kiss became different then and I was once again confused. He took the upper part of my lip between his lips. I closed my eyes at I continued to let the feelings fill me. Why hadn't I ever known about this? I felt like I was missing everything.

Sam sucked on my upper lip for a handful of seconds and then moved my bottom lip, doing the exact same thing. I felt something rise in my chest and the next thing I knew I had let out a low whimper of sorts. Sam was affecting me so much that it was starting to become overwhelming.

He kissed my lips then and pulled away and I gasped for the air that I finally registered that I needed. Sam's breathing was heavier too. After a few moments of calming my breathing, I looked at Sam. "Did I do that right?" I asked him with a worried tone, my eyes wide.

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around me. "Not everything is measured by how well you do on something, Quorra," he told me softly as he smoothed my forehead with his cheek. I frowned at him, disappointment clearly on my face. He smiled and shook his head at me, deciding to answer me but in a way that I hardly understood.

"You tasted great," he answered with a smirk.

**_So, once again, I am feeling like I didn't do a very good job. Oh, and YAY there first kiss! Do you think it was too soon? It wasn't supposed to be until a week or later after she was on earth but I wanted their first kiss to be on the dock so...yea...Please tell me what you think because I am very unsure about this chapter, i just...don't know._**

**_Tell me if i should start their relationship now or wait a little longer before i really go into it! Remember, your opinion counts!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! Thx every1_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Thank you to all of you that were awesome enough to review my story!_**

**_Also, I want to give a big super thank you to my new beta reader, illational! You're amazing!_**

Quorra POV

I rested my head against the small mound of soft and feathery pillows. I breathed out a gusty sigh in contentment as I felt myself internally relax and unwind from today's events. I liked sleeping, it felt so different, but it felt so amazing. It was like your mind was at peace, re-energizing for the day to come. It was a new feeling to me and I welcomed it even though I knew very little about it. Flynn could sleep, he looked so peaceful, only on few occasions would he be restless and he would tell me that he had a bad dream of sorts. I had never slept before I got here. I guess at times, when my energy was running low I would shut down, that was as close to sleep as I could get but it was rare, Flynn always made sure I had livations nearby.

I shifted in the bed so I could pull the warm comforter over me. I smiled and turned my head to the side as I heard the bathroom door open to the large bedroom. Sam strolled out wearing a pair of odd shorts, kind of like what he wore yesterday night. He wore a plain white t-shirt over his upper half, the fabric clinging to his build with ease. Sam walked over to the light switch to the main light, turning it off and then walking over to his side of the bed. "How about something to watch as we go to sleep?" Sam asked me with a small smile.

"Sure," I answered as I sat up and watched as he reached for the remote and turned the TV on. I watched as he flipped through a few channels and then went to a separate screen that had a list of what looked like channels. He picked out something that said Criminal Minds on it. "What is that?" I asked him as he placed the remote on the bedside table and then sat on the bed next to me.

"It is a TV show, I think it is very good," he told me as he pulled out the covers and rested his head on his pillow and then pulled the sheets up to cover his body. He turned to look at me as I copied his movements. I pulled the covers up to my chin for the second time and smiled, turning myself so I was facing him.

"So you do this every single night? This sleeping thing?" I asked him and he let out a short laugh at my declaration. I smiled in return, not exactly understanding what was so funny.

He nodded at me. "Yes ,every night, it is routine for us. We need sleep so we can keep going, we have to have sleep," he stated and then I saw his mouth open in a wide o-shape and then close again after a few seconds. "See? At the end of the day, we are tired, so we sleep so we can get our energy back," he added with a tired smile.

"Oh, I see," I murmured with a nod of confirmation. Sam beamed down at me with an expression that was unclear to me. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling, looking at the plain white color on the top of the room. I almost jumped out of the bed as I felt something warm tickle my cheek but relaxed slightly when the corner of my eye saw Sam closer to me than usual.

Then he gave me the same physical gesture as he had earlier except, instead of on my lips, he had placed it on my left cheek. A kiss, I was going to have to remember that. Once again, something warm shot down my spine, running through my every vein. The feeling shocked me but at the same exact time, overjoyed me with this amazing feeling. "Goodnight, Quorra," Sam mumbled as he retreated back to his pillow and then reached up to turn off the lamp.

"Goodnight, Sam," I answered in a soft voice as the room filled with darkness. I shifted myself in the bed so I was facing away from Sam, I found that I was more comfortable sleeping on my right side than my left side.

But I couldn't sleep, my mind was whirling now, filling with so many questions that would probably remain unanswered for a while. I couldn't bother Sam, it would be rude when he was trying to sleep. I had woken him from his sleep last night and immediately felt bad for doing it. He deserved his sleep, he was tired.

My mind wondered back to the Grid, I wondered how long it would take me to forget that place if I ever did. I could still remember everything perfectly, like I was still living through it. And that somewhat scared me.

Images of when the time of the purge took place floated through my mind, sending my heartbeat into a fast paced and somewhat loud noise. The cycles during the purge changed my life, changed my perspective on life, made me realize that not everything was good. I realized that there were people that I couldn't trust, programs that would give anything to get rid of me.

_I had been running, escaping for a while, I didn't know how long, my system was in panic mode. Everywhere I turned, there was a program waiting there, ready to destroy me. I saw my friends being derezzed right in front of me, my kind that I knew I could trust. I somehow made it out of the city but didn't get too far when I realized that I had fallen into a trap. I was hopelessly outnumbered this time and I could feel my system starting to shut down from my lack of livations that I needed. _

_My movements became slower, more inaccurate, as I tried to defend myself. Everything started to become darker and I knew that it was over now. But then, he appeared. I have no idea where he came from but he saved me. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and when I looked up the Creator, Kevin Flynn was standing above._

And that was how I met him, he had come to rescue me in my time of need and without any hesitance took me under his wing, teaching me as much as he could. He had destroyed the programs that had attacked me, saying that it was best because then CLU would not be after me.

_The first few cycles were hard for me, I guess at first I was still shocked about the purge. Flynn was there though. It was an honor to meet a user, and even more of an honor to meet Flynn. We were both very curious about one another at first. Sometimes, Flynn would sit in the spot where he meditated and just watch me with an intrigued look on his face._

_I was just as curious about him and after a while we would sit and talk. He would apologize to me, saying that he regretted creating CLU in the first place. I listened intently to him always, learning something new every time._

_After a while I grew comfortable around him and every chance he got, he would teach me something about his world or he would sit and read a book with me._

_After a while, I had grown bored with staying locked inside the hideout for so long. I wanted to explore, learn something new, do anything. Flynn granted me my wish and let me explore as I pleased. I would take the light runner out and drive along the cliffs and the outskirts, speeding and doing tricks to perfect my driving skills._

_One day though, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go to the Grid and see what had changed since I had left. Of course, I hadn't realized that this would upset Flynn. _

_I rushed home to tell him about the changes that I had seen on the Grid. When I came up the elevator, I saw him waiting for me with a smile on his face. "Flynn I went to the Grid! There are so many-"_

"_You went where?" he asked me with a frown on his face._

"_On the Grid, I wanted to see what everything looked like now," I told him with a bright smile._

"_Why would you do that? You should know better than to go there, Quorra. Do you even realize what could have happened?" he asked and I cringed as I heard him yell at me for the first time. I hadn't been expecting that, I thought he would be as enthralled as I was about._

_I found myself apologizing immediately even before I knew what I was apologizing for. "I'm sorry, Flynn, I didn't know," I had said in a small voice._

"_No, you shouldn't have gone there! What if they had found you? What would you have done then? Do you even know what they would have done to you?" he asked as he stood from his chair, walking towards me. He hadn't let me put in an answer though, he just kept talking. "Do you know how important you are? You are the last of your kind, Quorra, you must stay hidden. They can't find you!" he said and at this point his voice had a hint of desperation in it._

"_I'm sorry," I whispered again as he came to a stop in front of me._

_He took a deep breath and then his eyes softened as he looked down at me. "Your kind was supposed to be my gift to the world, to make it a better place. You are the only one left, Quorra, and I am determined to get you there, not just to change my world but for you too. I know you want to go there." he told me with a small smile. He was right, I did want to go there, it sounded like an amazing place, so much freedom, so many things to do. I wanted to go there badly._

That was when my helmet had been created, it was a compromise between Flynn and I. He would never deprive me of exploring because he knew that was my nature and the way I learned.

I missed Flynn, more than I could possibly imagine, but there was one thing that was easing the pain from missing my mentor and companion.

Sam Flynn.

From the start, I felt like I could trust him. After all, he was Flynn's son, and Flynn was very trustworthy. We worked as a team while we were on the Grid and I enjoyed the adventure that he brought along with him.

I turned in the bed so I was facing him. He was asleep and I smiled as I saw the serene look on his face. My vision shifted then, to a few hours ago. The image was still vivid in my head as Sam's lips had met with mine.

I still wondered what that gesture meant, it was an affection that I was not used to. I mean, of course I had read about these things in the many books that Flynn had. I did comprehend what was going on but I didn't understand the feelings behind it. I knew that it meant something important but when I searched in my head for the possibilities, I came up short.

And then the feelings that I had felt as he kissed me. That strange light feeling in my stomach and the hammering of my heartbeat, the shivers running down my spine, and even the small shocks or jolts as he touched me.

Maybe I should look it up to find out. Sam said that the internet could answer almost any question that I had about anything. The internet sounded amazing for that one reason. I could learn so much about this planet through the internet that the dictionary hadn't told me.

I started to quiet my mind as I looked at the clock that now read 3:23 a.m. Wow, time really did get away from me here, that was a whole new concept in itself. After a few minutes of clearing my head, I drifted into a peaceful sleep…

My body shook from side to side that jolted me awake. A hand was resting on my arm and I heard mumbling. "Quorra?" I finally made out Sam's voice and opened my eyes to see him standing beside the bed. "Come on, I let you sleep in long enough. You need to get up now. We need to be heading off towards ENCOM soon," he said as he continued to shake me.

"No, stop, I am still tired, let me sleep a little longer," I mumbled, my own voice sounding foreign to me.

"How can you be tired? Yesterday when you woke up, you were bursting with energy. Come on, we have to get ready to go," he went on as he continued to shake me.

I turned to look at Sam but took a quick peak at the clock that now read 6:54 on it. Wow, only three hours of sleep, from what I have heard about sleeping, that isn't a good thing. "Please, Sam? I didn't go to sleep until really late," I sighed as I swatted his hand away from me.

He sighed and looked at me with a small smile. "Come on, you have to get up. I only have to work until two o'clock today so we can come home and you can sleep then. I have some coffee for you downstairs too," he stated as he pulled me out of bed.

"Ok, ok, I am up now, I will be down in a minute," I said drowsily as I walked over to my dresser and started to ramble through my outfit choices.

"Alright, I am holding you to that," Sam said as he left the room quietly, shutting the door behind him softly. I grabbed a pair of jeans, a gray blouse, and underwear and then retreated into the bathroom.

I undressed slowly, still trying to wake up from my shot sleep. I turned on the faucet to the shower and stepped in. I loved the nice smelling soap that I got, I think Sam had called it body wash. It had a nice floral smell to it that clung to my body even after I rinsed all of it off.

I quickly got a shower and stepped out of the confined space, drying myself off and getting dressed. I did feel more awake after the shower, a lot more alert than I had been when I woke up. I brushed my teeth and the put the clothes that I had just worn into a laundry basket that Sam told me to put my clothes in. I walked out of the bathroom and I felt the cool air rush into the steamy bathroom and brush against my skin.

I brushed my damp hair until it had the same soft and silky texture that it always had. I grabbed a hoodie and slipped it on easily before I made my way down the stairs. "Ah, there you are, I was wondering if you had fallen back asleep on me," Sam commented as I walked over to him. He handed me a mug that had coffee in it and smiled. "It should be cool by now," he added as I eyed the drink, looking for the hot steam that I had seen yesterday.

I took a sip and smiled before taking another. Sam had made it just the way I wanted it, like he had yesterday. "Thank you," I told him with a smile.

"So, are you hungry, I have some cereal, or pancakes if you want some of those, or even waffles, or bacon like yesterday," he suggested.

"No, the coffee is fine but thank you, Sam," I answered as we both took a sip of our coffee and then set it down on the counter top simultaneously .

"Are you sure? We have plenty of time if you want something," he said softly as he walked over to the counter and put some more crème into his coffee.

"I am fine, I promise," I said to him as I finished my coffee .and Sam took the mug from me and placed ii into the dishwasher along with his before closing it back and pressing a few buttons on the large chrome device.

"Alright then, are you ready to go? You can drive if you want to," he said as he pulled out his keys and pushed them in my direction with a smirk.

I squealed and grabbed the keys from off of the table. "Yes! Oh thank you Sam!" I said with pure joy as I hugged Sam tightly.

We walked over to the bike and Sam opened the garage door as I threw my leg over and sat down on the front of the bike. Sam got on a few seconds after me and slid his arms around my waist for support. I started the engine and left Sam's apartment, glancing back to see the garage door shutting smoothly.

I kept my eyes focused on the road and this time I found myself testing the speed limits, going a little over this time than I had yesterday. Sam didn't seem to mind and it looked as if I was going the same speed as the other people that were on the road as well.

The sun was up now and I could see it occasionally when we would ride over a bride or when we would drive past an open area. There were clouds scattered around it though, kind of like what the Grid had but there weren't as many and there was no lightning shooting from them. Since the clouds were in the sky, there was not as much color, not the orange, yellow, purple, and blue colors like normal. There was some read and pink that was reflecting on the clouds but as the clouds moved, the colors disappeared.

I pulled into the large parking garage and parked the motorcycle in the same space that Sam had yesterday and the day before. We got off of the bike and walked over to the elevator, Sam pressing the star button that I now knew meant the main level. The elevator opened a handful of seconds later and we waited as two people exited the small space with angry looks on their faces. When we got into the elevator and the doors shut, we started to move upwards and once again I could feel the lightness of my stomach.

That feeling was still strangely new to me. I knew that it was because of gravity but that was really it. All I really knew was that it made you feel like you were almost flying.

We got out of the elevator and Sam stopped for a few minutes to talk to some lady at the front desk about something. I suppose I could have listened but I wasn't, my attention was directed to the lobby where a very large fish tank sat. This one was much larger than the other one, almost taking up the entire wall given, and there were so many fish, not just of the same fish but of a lot of them. Sam told me that there were different kinds of everything, usually called breeds. There were blue fish with a strange yellow fin, gold and white ones, ones that had very pretty tails that flowed behind them. They were intriguing, the fact that they could live in water was amazing. I knew that humans couldn't live in water, we needed oxygen to survive. So, to see another kind of animal that's home was inside the water was something that was very new to me.

I wondered if there were other animals that could live in the water. I think I have heard of sharks, whales, and dolphins living in the water from some of the books I have read but I had a strong feeling that there were many more, just like there were thousands of different animals that also lived on land.

"Hey, Q Are you ready to go?" he asked me as I felt a tug on my arm. I looked up to see Sam waiting for me with an amused smile on his face. "We should probably head up now before I get yelled at again," he stated with a small but wary laugh. Sam looked very tired, that was why we hadn't gone out last night like he had promised. I told him that I didn't feel like going out so he could get some sleep. It was my fault after all that he only got a few hours of sleep the night before. He had asked if I was ok, thinking that I was not feeling well because he always thought that I was ready to explore. I wanted to, but I usually put others that I really care about before me when I know I need to. Flynn had taught me that, being selfless, which he thought was a very good trait.

We waited for the elevator doors to open and one we got in, the doors closed and we started to move. "Sam, can we get one of those fish tanks?" I asked him as I looked out the glass window like I always would.

"Sure, why not, but we should wait a little while. We will need to move first," he said to me nonchalantly. I paused and turned to look at him with my wide curious eyes burning into his.

"When you say move…do you mean like…to relocate?" I asked in a small voice. I didn't want to move, I was finally settling in to Sam's apartment. It was so homey there.

"I am afraid so, I talked with Alan about it yesterday. He said that it would be a good Idea to be closer to this place just in case anything were to happen and I was needed as soon as possible. He is helping me look and it will be just as comfortable or even more so than my apartment now. More room too since I am no longer living by myself," he said with a smile.

"But I don't want to move…" I grumbled as I looked back out of the glass window, watching as we rose above the people, streets, and some buildings. "I like it there, Sam," I continued.

"Trust me, Quorra, if your personality is what I think it is like, you will have no problem settling in, and I know that you will love it. Alan and I will probably finish our search today," he told me as the elevator doors opened and we walked out, heading towards the large office that was Sam's.

Sam opened the door to his office and then gestured for me to go in. I immediately walked over to the small bookshelf and looked at the few books here. "Sam, are these all of the books?" I asked as I found nothing that interested me.

"In this office yes, but there are a lot more out there if that is what you meant," he stated as he shut the door behind him and walked over to his desk, taking a seat and then turning the computer on. "I can take you to a bookstore or maybe a library when we leave if you want," he said to me.

"Really? You'll do that?" I asked as I turned and looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course, Quorra, of course I will, you know that," he told me softly as I watched him type something on his laptop. I walked over to him and watched as he pulled something up and entered a few words and then pressed the enter key on this device. Moments later, a new screen showed up with words similar to the ones that he keyed in.

"So, what are you doing? I haven't seen that program before," I said as I looked at the page intently.

"It is called the internet, I guess you could say that it is like a digital encyclopedia that you can access on computers or other devices. You can do practically anything with it," he said and I nodded.

"That sounds amazing, can I try it on that one over there?" I asked as I pointed to the other laptop sitting on the other desk.

"Sure," he said and he stood, walking over to the other desk and flipping the laptop open and then turning it on. I smiled happily and skipped over to him, watching as he entered something into the keyboard and then pressed enter, causing a desktop screen to show up seconds later. He pulled up a tab that read bing on it and then a pretty picture al over the page. "So all you have to do is enter something that you want to research in this bar right here and click search or press enter," he told me as he pulled the chair out and I sat down, rolling the chair towards the desk again.

Sam walked back over to his desk with another glance in my direction. "If you have any trouble don't hesitate to ask. I just need to work on something for a few, ok," he said with a smile as he sat back down at his desk.

I looked at the screen for the second and then typed in the first name that came to mind. Jules Verne. I pressed enter and gaped at all of the results that came back to me. I clicked on the first option and my eyes widened at seeing all of this information. There were so many books that were written by him. "Oh my goodness, Sam! There are so many books by Jules Verne!" I exclaimed with a smile as I kept my eyes glued to the internet page.

"Yes, there are quite a few," he commented unenthusiastically and I looked up to see his face. Before I could ask what was wrong, the door opened and Alan appeared. He walked into the room, shutting the door behind himself.

"Hello, Sam, nice to see you here," he said with a smile. "And Quorra, nice to see you here too. How are you doing today?" he asked with a bright smile as he turned his head to look at me.

"Very well, thank you, and how are you, Alan?" I asked politely as I looked at him.

"Just great, dear, and such great manners you have. Sam you have a few things to learn from her," Alan said as he looked at Sam again. Sam frowned at him for a moment and then eased up, letting out a carefree laugh.

"I suppose you are right," he said with a small smile as Alan handed him a small stack of papers. Sam looked at the papers and then back at Alan. "You didn't have to do that, I have been searching for something, but I do like the second one," he commented with a large smile.

"Well, I am just looking out for the two of you. And yes, I did like that one two, it is brand new and is pet friendly to a certain degree," he said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked curiously as I rose from my seat and walked over next to Sam. I saw pictures and descriptions of what were called apartments or condos. How had I been left out of everything when this had happened yesterday?

"You will like it too, Quorra, there is a balcony, I have heard that you like the sun," Alan told me with a small laugh.

I was interested then. I could see the sun from the balcony whenever I wanted to? That sounded amazing! "Really? All the time?" I prodded with a large smile.

"Yes," Alan stated with a laugh.

"Oh Sam! Pick that one then! I want to watch the sun whenever I want to!" I squealed happily.

Sam laughed at me then. "Quorra, about an hour ago you were telling me that you didn't want to move," he laughed softly. "Well, if that is what you want…"

"Oh, Sam it is! Please?" I asked, elated at the moment.

He chuckled but nodded at me. "Ok, then, the apartment with the balcony it is," he murmured. "How long will it take to finalize everything?" Sam asked as he looked up at Alan again.

"We can finalize it today. The furnishers probably won't finish setting up until Wednesday but it will be worth it. And it is only six miles from here and it is in a nice area with a few local parks close by," he added.

"Alright then," Sam started and as he went on I started to wonder around the room again, looking over everything and seeing what had changed, something that I liked to do. The plants looked the same except they looked a little droopier than yesterday. The lamp was in the same place but the light was not on, having a dim look to it now. I walked over to the little lobby area where I've been reading and noticed a black container holding flimsy books, or maybe more like pamphlets, that were shiny and very colorful. I picked up the stack and looked at them one by one, taking a seat in the cushioned chair as I did.

The first pamphlet read _People. _There were pictures of users on the cover, about three of them. The title was pretty simple and I did not really want to know about other people's lives. I didn't even know who they were.

I tossed that one back in the little rack and looked at the next one. This one read _Ok! _There was only one person on the cover this time, with just his face on the page. On the bottom of the page in big bold letters read _Make Up Your Mind_! I didn't understand that and I was going to ask Sam but he was still talking to Alan and it would be rude to interrupt. I decided to open the pamphlet and started to read the first three pages. It was very uninteresting, talking about what people did with their lives and once again I didn't understand why someone would want to know what others did. I put it back after closing it and then looked at the next one.

The next one read _Entertainment Weekly_ and I found myself more amused by this one. It talked about movies, like the one that Sam and I had watched two days ago. I read through the first five pages and smiled as I read an article about the movie that I had seen.

"Quorra?" Sam asked me and I looked up from the flimsy paper. "We can leave soon if you want to, I just need to talk to someone before we do. Do you mind if I leave you here for a-"

"We have been over this, Sam. I know how to take care of myself. I am not helpless," I said with a frown.

"Ok, ok, fine," he said as he stood and followed Alan towards the door. "I will be back soon," he promised as Alan opened the door and the two of them left the room.

I sighed, somehow that protectiveness had followed me into another world, once again limiting my freedom by a good margin. I always acted like I didn't mind but I always thought that it was unnecessary. I knew how to defend myself in situations, I was programmed to be able to do things like that.

I decided to explore on the internet some more while I waited for Sam and after a while I wondered if Sam had forgotten about me. He said that he wouldn't take long but it had been and hour and fifteen minutes, I didn't move though, like I promised, I stayed in the same room like Sam said. While I was on the internet, I found an online game of Go that was the exactly the same as the board game. I decided to play it but I didn't like the fact that I couldn't see my opponent. The computer said that I was versing a random opponent.

More time passed and at the same time I was worrying about Sam and also paving my way to victory in this game. This person that I was playing was not strategic at all. It was very amusing.

Halfway through the game however, the door opened and I looked up to see a wary Sam "What is wrong?" I asked him softly as I could sense his hidden anger and disappointment.

"Nothing that you need to worry about," he said in a grumpy tone and I felt my own mood dampen at his voice.

"Are you sure?" I asked, knowing that something was wrong. I didn't understand why humans tried to handle complex things on their own, it was easier and made me feel better when I had someone there for me.

"I said nothing," he snapped lightly as he walked over to his desk and turned his laptop off.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to upset you," I told him quietly as I copied his actions and then closed the laptop.

Sam looked over at me and sighed. I watched as he relaxed slightly. "You didn't do anything, I am just having a rough day. Sometimes, I wonder why I chose to take this on," he muttered under his breath but I could hear him clearly.

"You chose to do this because you know that your father would want you to do this," I told him as I neared him. "You are doing the right thing, Sam. And anyways, I am here to help you," I said with a smile. "Just give it some time and I know you will get used to it," I added softly.

He smiled down at me as he put on his light jacket. "So, are you ready to go? I promised you a trip to the library," he put in with a grin.

My eyes widened and I jumped happily, following Sam as we left the office and then went to the elevators.

Sam drove his bike this time, taking me along roads that I had never seen before. There were more large buildings and they seemed to stretch for forever. After about twenty minutes, Sam parked us in a parking lot with a wide but not very tall building.

"Come on," he said as he took my hand and helped me off of the bike and then led me through the doors that slid open when we neared them. We walked through a large walkway and then through another set of doors that opened for us and my eyes bulged at what I saw.

So many books! Shelf after shelf after shelf of them! "Wow," I said in amazed voice.

"Shh, that is one thing about a library, you have to be quiet. People study here and read so it is respectful to let them think," he told me as he led me into the library. "Now you are looking for Jules Verne. Hmm, now where could that be?" he wondered under his breath.

We both searched, well Sam searching as I looked at the titles of books that I could read as we walked by. One in particular caught my eye. "Sam, look!" I said as I stopped and pulled out _Romeo And Juliet_ from the shelf. Sam saw the book and smile at me. "I have heard of this book before, I have heard great things about it from Flynn," I stated as I looked at the cover.

"Yes, it is a good story. I had to read that once in one of my literature classes," he told me as he looked at the book.

"Oh, Sam, please, can I get it?" I asked him with a pout and large eyes.

He snickered quietly and nodded his head in affirmation. "Sure, whatever you want, Quorra," he told me and I smiled even bigger.

After a handful of minutes, we found the Jules Verne books and I picked out two of them to read and then along with another Shakespearean play call Macbeth that seemed very interesting to me.

Sam handed a lady behind a counter a card, or a library card from what he called it. The lady took the books and scanned something over them and then handed Sam a recipe for the books that we were apparently 'borrowing' from this place. Once we left, Sam put the books somewhere safe and got onto the bike with me right behind him, wrapping my arms around his torso like I always did. I felt the muscles in his stomach contract and rebuild again as he switched gears and turned the bike on.

"So where to next?" he asked me as he looked over his shoulder at me.

"I want to start reading the books, home maybe?" I asked him with a small smile.

He shook his head at me. "First we are going to lunch, you didn't eat breakfast remember?" he prompted.

I hadn't noticed the empty feeling in my stomach until he reminded me of it. I just nodded and asked the only question I could. "So where are we going then?"

He smirked at me and then winked. "You'll see."

**_Tell me what you think as always. 8 reviews and i will update ASAP! Remember that i luv 2 hear what everyone thinks! See ya later! :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey guys! I'm back! _**

**_I own nothing, the credit goes to the creators of the plot/characters/story_**

**_Enjoy!_**

Sam POV

I had decided on taking Quorra to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. I personally loved this place and would come here a lot whenever I had free time and felt like eating out. I drove farther downtown with Quorra clutching to my stomach from behind. I could feel her tiny chin resting on my left shoulder and when I would slow to a stop at a red light, I could feel her light breathing slip across my neck. The wind picked up and I felt Quorra tighten her grip on me and her body stiffen. I suppose that she wasn't used to wind, when I had been on the Grid there was not much of it.

"Sam, are we almost there? " I heard her murmur close to my ear. She shuddered softly and breathed out a huff. "It just became cooler for some reason," she whined with an indifferent tone. I sped up as the light changed and turned right and could now see my destination in view.

"We are almost there, Quorra, it is just up ahead. And that is the wind, it makes the air feel cooler at times," I stated as I turned into the parking lot and parked in one of the empty spaces. I let Quorra get off first and then I stepped off of the bike myself, walking up to stand beside her.

"Wind, that applies here?" she asked in an amazed voice that made my smile even widen. She still had so much to learn about this world. She had made such an improvement though that I was surprised. I guess reading that dictionary did her some good and saved me the questions that would bring on embarrassment and tension. I thanked my lucky stars that she knew how to dress herself…or at least I think she did. She looked like she got it right by just looking at her but I could be wrong about the rest.

"Yes, wind applies to this world, I would try to explain it to you but I don't think I am any good at it. See the clouds up in the sky? They sort of move with the wind and it may indicate that it may rain later on today," I told her as best as I could.

"Oh, ok, I think I understand. What is rain like? I know that the drops fall from the sky, from clouds, like those I guess. Oh! And I know that it is very much like water although Flynn said that you shouldn't try to drink it. What does it feel like?" she asked with curiosity filling her eyes. I took hold of her arm and started to pull her into the restaurant. She followed after she realized that I wanted her to follow me and she continued on. "Oh, please Sam, tell me what it feels like," she continued in almost a squeal.

I chuckled and quieted her quickly as the attendant behind the counter sent us a glare. I grimaced slightly as the girl's eyes met mine from where she stood. She blinked twice and seemed to dismiss the part of our overheard conversation and placed a smile on her face. "Welcome to Ruby Tuesdays, how many will it be today?" she trilled in a pleasant voice but I could tell by the top portion of her face that she was annoyed.

"Just two," I announced with a smile in her direction as she reached into the podium like counter and pulled out two menus. She beckoned for us to follow her and Quorra and I walked side by side after the brunette. The place was quite crowded but I guess that was normal since it was around lunch time. She stopped at a table that was surrounded by three full tables and I frowned. That was probably the last thing we needed. Quorra just looked like she had questions that she wanted to ask. "Actually, if you don't mind, maybe you could seat us somewhere quieter?" I asked her softly, hoping that she wouldn't mind. She nodded and started to walk again with us following behind.

"The bar is fairly empty if you prefer that," she suggested with raised eyebrows as she turned to look at us with a small grin. "Or we have a few booths if that interests you," she added with raised eyebrows. Quorra looked up at me and opened her mouth to speak but I spoke before she could utter a words.

"No, we won't be drinking, a booth will be perfect, thank you very much," I asserted with a glance down at Quorra. She was frowning at me now and I just dragged her along with a sly chuckle. The lady set our menus down in a booth and informed us that a waiter would be with us shortly before turning and leaving to go back to her desk. I took a seat on one side of the booth as Quorra cautiously took a seat on the other side. "Here," I said as I handed her a menu and she took it with a small smile. She didn't open it though, she just stared at it before turning her beautiful blue-eyed gaze up towards me.

"Sam, what is a bar? And what did you mean by 'we won't be drinking'? Are you not supposed to drink when you eat lunch? Are there certain times of the day where you aren't allowed to?" she asked with a worried gaze as she set the menu down on the table and then crossing her arms on the table. I laughed at her response and her worried gaze turned into a frown.

I quieted myself and took in a steady breath. " There are multiple meanings to that word, do you remember from the dictionary?" I asked and received a smile and a quick nod of her head. "A bar is a place where adults can get alcoholic beverages. They are like normal drinks except there is alcohol present in the drink. There is a different taste to these drinks as well, a tang almost. It is hard to explain really," I said as I scratched the back of my head.

"I think I remember something like that mentioned in a book before or maybe Flynn had spoken about once or twice before. "I want to try some, can I, Sam?" she asked with a happy squeal and a little bounce in her seat. "Is it good? Have you tried some before?" she continued as she looked at me with curious and wide eyes that it became impossible to look away from them.

I grimaced again and thought about how that could turn out. "Umm, I suppose if you would like to but not now. Let's try to stay sober while we are out because may I remind you that that we are riding the motorcycle home?" I prodded with a short laugh. "I have Bud Light at home if you would like to give it a shot but some people aren't that into it so don't be surprised if you don't like it," I told her with a small shake of my head.

"Ok, we can do it then," she declared with a large smile as she picked up the menu from on the table. "So what is this really thin looking book?" she asked as she let it hang from to fingers in her right hand. Her eyes weren't on the menu though; she was looking at me still, with the same inquisitive eyes as before. I loved her curiosity about everything, but her curiosity scared me a little too. I wondered if that curiosity would ever bring her trouble here. It worried me greatly when I really thought about. That curiosity could get her hurt if she wasn't careful about what she did. "Sam?" her voice trilled, breaking through my thoughts and causing me to look at her again. "What is it?" she asked again as she set it down and opened the cover, probably realizing that it had pages bound within it.

"It is a menu, it tells you about all of the food that this restaurant has to offer. Appetizers, salads, main dishes, dessert, and then you can pick out something to drink from the back page," I said as I opened my own memo and started to read snippets of the choices. "Would you like an appetizer, we can share one if you want to," I added with a smile. I scanned over the menu as I waited for her to pick something but I looked up after a minute or two of silence.

"Why is there so much to choose from? I thought that there were only a few types of food," she stated with awed eyes. "I have no idea what this stuff is, and with the few that I have heard of, I don't know what they look or taste like," she continued as she ran her pale and small fingers through her short black hair. "Can you pick something? I don't know what to choose from," she decided as she set the menu down, still open to the first page and looked up at me. "I would think that you know about these foods than I do," she said with a laugh and a large smile that made me smile at her again. Her happiness was contagious, well; I guess her mood as a whole was contagious that it stunned me at how easily she could influence me.

"Hmm…" I mumbled as I looked over the menu, thinking of something that Quorra might like. I smiled as my eyes ran across one in particular, one of my personal favorites. "How about cheese fries? Does that sound good to you?" I asked her as I pointed to the appetizer on her own menu. She read it over in about two seconds and smiled at me with a nod.

"Yes, it does. Have you tried it before? How does it taste?" she asked me as she ran her fingers across the thick paper and then over the leather binding.

"Yea, I have, I think it is very good. It is very simple, I think you will like it," I put in with a grin. "If you don't then you can try something else," I added as I looked at her undecided facial expression.

"Aren't we going over to Alan's for dinner? I have read that the human stomach can only hold so much before you become full. Shouldn't we wait until we get there? It would be rude to show up for dinner and then not eat anything," she said softly. Wow, Alan was right about her manners. She had such a huge heart and cared so much for others. I really did have some things to learn from her.

But I chuckled at her statement. "You really do have a lot to learn. We eat three times a day, I thought I had mentioned that little detail to you. We have something called a metabolism, and I guess you can say that it reacts with the amount of food and then how many times you eat a day. We eat three times a day to keep our energy up, kind of like what I told you about sleeping last night. I think I had referred to it earlier as like being your livations when you were on the Grid," I informed her as I set my menu down. "Of course digestion plays a very large role in that but your metabolism is a little more important."

"Oh yes, I remember," she smiled. At that moment, a waiter walked up to our table. I watched as his eyes took Quorra in fully. I huffed as he sized her up with his eyes without Quorra taking notice. This was starting to irritate me, that annoying guy in American eagle, then the market executive that was in my office yesterday, and now him. I felt jealousy brim within me but I had a strong feeling that she hadn't even realized how I felt or how they felt for that matter.

"Hello, my name is Austin; I will be your waiter for today. How about I start the two of you off with a drink?" he suggested with his eyes still planted on Quorra's form.

I nodded towards Quorra and she smiled at me before turning to the hormonal young man. "Umm… I would like a sprite?" she said and it sounded like a question. She looked up at me, searching for confirmation, that she had answered right and I nodded in her direction. Her smile widened and she clasped her hands together, resting her chin on the top of them contentedly.

"I will have iced tea, please," I murmured as I looked up at him. "Also, we would like to order the cheese fries for an appetizer," I added and watched as the man obediently scribbled down our order.

"Alright, I will be back with your drinks, the appetizer will be out shortly," he said as he pocketed his note pad and walked off to another table. I sat in silence as Quorra looked around at her surroundings, her wide blue eyes taking in every detail that was in her eyesight. After a handful of seconds or maybe even minutes, I wasn't keeping track, her blue eyes landed on me and I saw her lips tug upwards into a happy smile. It looked like she was about to say something but she looked out the window when the light had darkened. Her eyes rested where the sun should be, but instead of the sun, clouds were covering over and around it. I really hoped that it wouldn't rain until we got home, that would be very uncomfortable to her, and to me for that matter. I did not enjoy riding my bike in the rain, I didn't like the way that the rain would hit may face and my body, if it was heavy enough, it would sting my face.

"Sam, what is happening? Why did the sun go away?" she asked in a stressed voice as she looked outside the shaded window with a perplexed and somewhat worried expression.

"Everything is fine, don't worry about it. The clouds in the sky move unlike the ones in the Grid. And the sun is way up in the sky, so high that it is not a part of the earth, it is very far away. The clouds on the other had, are inside out atmosphere so at times, they will cover up the sun. it is very normal for this to occur. I would teach you about weather patterns of this world but I am not very strong in that subject myself and I wouldn't want to mislead you," I said as I looked at my menu again, picking a main dish quietly.

"How will the sun set then if the clouds are in the way? Will it stay in that same spot until the clouds go away? Wouldn't that mess up the days and nights?" she asked as she turned to look at me again. I could tell by the look on her face that she was trying to think this new lesson through, to sink it into her head, although, from what I could see, she did not comprehend very well.

"The sun will still move across the sky and then set at the same time that it is supposed to for today. The sun will always move across the sky no matter what," I said with a smirk and a low laugh. Quorra breathed out a sigh and then looked down at the menu in front of her. "You should probably pick out a main dish. Here," I murmured as I turned the page and showed her the section. "Pick something out from there that you want to get," I murmured softly.

"Hmm…" she hummed as her eyes moved over to the contents of the menu. "Wow, I have never heard of these food before but I have heard of a few of the contents before…why are they put together with other things?" she asked softly.

"Sometimes it makes the food taste better or maybe add a unique touch," I told her. I watched as her eyes moved once again over the page and a small frown appeared across her smooth forehead, causing a crease to appear.

"Maybe you could pick something for me? I have liked what you have chosen for me so far so… why not?" she said with a shrug of her shoulders. I laughed lightly and nodded as she shut her menu and set it aside. "So where would you like to go when we are done eating?" I asked her as I set my own menu aside after I picked Quorra's and my own dish out.

"Home, I want to go home," she said with an excited smile. "I want to start reading the books that I got. Maybe I will start with Romeo and Juliet because I have never read a novel by William Shakespeare before. I think it will be very interesting and plus, I have never read a romance novel before," she stated with a sigh. "But I really want to read the Jules Verne books now," she said as she crossed her arms in indecision.

"Why don't you just switch back and forth between two of them?" I suggested, smiling at her eagerness to read something. Don't get me wrong, I loved to read, but different types of things. Like newspapers, and books on computer sciences, technician, and sometimes I would read magazines about cars and motorcycles. I did not fathom romance novels of any sorts, I thought that they were very unnecessary and the plot always had a person striving for something that was unattainable.

"I can't do that, Sam. I should focus only on one book so I can understand everything and find all of the key points. Of course I could read two at a time if I wanted to but I don't," she told me and then I saw her eyes spark with happiness. "Sam, we should read them together," she said in a squeal, making it sound like she had just come up with the best idea on earth. I cringed internally at that, I really was not that interested into the books that she had picked out and I had already read Romeo and Juliet, which I found very unappealing and unnecessary.

"Um…no, I think it would be best if you just read them on your own," I recommended with a small laugh. She pouted then and I instantly felt bad. Before I could correct myself the waiter came back to the table and handed us our drinks and asking what we wanted to order. I told him that Quorra was getting fettuccini Alfredo and I was getting spaghetti and meatballs. One he left Quorra turned to look at me, our old conversation lost with her curiosity.

"What is fettuccini Alfredo?" she asked me with a small grin playing at her pursed lips. She took the wrapped off of the straw and then took a sip of her drink before setting it back down.

"It is fettuccini with garlic and a cream sauce. It tastes very good… hmm" I paused as I tried to explain the taste but then shrugged. "Well, I don't exactly know how to explain that taste to you but you will find out soon," I told her with a smirk and a wink.

She laughed lightly and nodded. "I guess you are right."

After about three minutes passed, our waiter came back with the cheese fries. Quorra liked them but didn't eat much of them; maybe she was just pretending to like it to make me happy. I wondered for a moment if she was sick or something. She hadn't wanted breakfast and she didn't eat much of the food. It had me a little worried for a little while.

"Sam, what was that drink called again? Did you say it was tea?" she asked as she swirled the straw around the inside of her glass.

"Yes, would you like to try it?" I asked her as I pushed my drink over towards her. She nodded and picked the cup up, looking at the light brown liquid. She brought the straw to her mouth and took a sip before frowning and pulling her mouth away from it. She made a face that was supposed to look disgusted but I thought it was downright adorable.

"Eww, that was awful, Sam. How can you drink that with a straight face? It has a strange aftertaste too, something…I don't know what the word is…" she trailed off as she handed me my drink back to me and took a sip of her s to probably wash away the taste. "But it really does taste awful," she put in again, trying to make her point.

"I think the word that you are looking for is bitter, Q," I told her as I drank the tea with ease. "For some people it will take longer to like the taste. It is very good for you though," I told her. "I can add some sugar or flavored sweetener to it if you want to try it again," I suggested as I motioned towards the little holder that contained sweeteners.

"Umm…no, I will not be drinking that again, ever," she said as she stuck her tongue out, a very childlike gesture that caused me to laugh at her. Austin came back with our main dish after she said this and then went to refill both of our drinks.

Quorra ended up really liking the fettuccini Alfredo but she didn't finish it. She said that she was full about halfway through with it. I had her try a bite of my dish and she said that she liked that too, although not as much as her dish. I asked Quorra if she wanted a dessert and after I explained exactly what a dessert was she said no. She told me that she was full.

I paid for the lunch and then when the waiter came back with my card and the recipe, we left the restaurant. "So what did you think?" I asked as I stepped over the bike and sat down. I turned my head to see her staring at the sky. There were more clouds now and the sun would probably not be coming out for a while by the looks of it. "Quorra, that is not very normal, come on," I said with a sigh as I patted the back of the seat. She nodded and got on behind me, wrapping her arms around me as always, pressing her hands against my stomach and then pulling herself closer to me.

We made it back home quickly, since we were closer than we were at ENCOM. I parked the bike inside my apartment where it normally went and Quorra hopped off, grabbing the books that were in the small compartment of my bike. I helped her out and she smiled at me before and started walking over towards the den. I watched her form as she silently retreated to the den and took a seat in one of the leather chairs.

Had her hips always swayed like that when she walked? I don't think I had noticed that little trait yet. I shook my head to clear the thought and walked over to where she sat, setting the books on the table in the center of the room. "Have you decided on which book you will read first?" I asked as I sat down on the side of the couch that was the closest to her.

She smiled broadly and nodded. "I have decided on Romeo and Juliet, it is time for me to read something new. So, I will start off with this story and once I finish it, I will move on to a Jules Verne book," she told me in a very decided tone that made me smile. "Read it with me?" she asked as she held the book in her two hands.

I frowned at her and shook my head. "Maybe later I will read it with you, but not now, ok?" I asked her and I smiled at her understanding nod that followed. She opened the book and started to read the lines on the page. I watched her face; the way that her facial expression would change made me laugh quietly at times. I had never known anyone to be so enthralled in books before.

After a while, I grew tired, the short nights of sleep and the long and hard days at ENCOM taking their toll. I lied down on the couch as Marvin came to lie down in front of Quorra's feet, resting his little heard on the top of her shoes. His face was facing me and I could see him watching me. Quorra smiled and looked down at Marvin. "Hi, Marvin, how are you today?" Marvin looked up at her and let his tongue loll out of his mouth in a content manner. She laugh softly and patted him before turning back to read her book again

The next thing I knew I was asleep. It was a dreamless sleep but very peaceful. I needed the rest, I knew I did, I had been running non-stop for the last couple of days. When I woke up, a blanket was covered over my body and a pillow had somehow been shoved under my head perfectly. This was compliments of Quorra of course but when I sat up and turned around to face her, she wasn't there. Her book lay on the chair that she had been sitting in, opened to the page that she had stopped at probably. "Quorra?" I asked as I stood and yawned. I stretched my arms above my head, trying to get the stiff feeling from sleeping on my couch out of me.

I didn't get a response so I looked around the entire room. She wasn't here. Maybe she was upstairs then, she might have decided that she would take a nap and went to go rest in the bed. I walked up the stairs and then into my bedroom to see everything left the way it had been this morning. Quorra was not in the bed and the bathroom door was opened to reveal that she wasn't there either. "Quorra?" I asked again, my voice raising an octave as I started to worry. Where could she have gone? And why hadn't she woken me to say something. "Quorra, where are you?" I went on, a little louder this time as I walked down the stairs and back to the main part of the first floor.

I looked around the apartment again and my eyes rested on the window, watching as water cascaded against it. It was raining outside now. She had to be outside then. I looked over in the corner to make sure that my bike was still there and sighed in relief as I saw it resting there but the feeling didn't last long. Unease and anxiety filled me as I realized that she could anywhere.

I rushed over to the garage door and entered the key code so it would open. I rushed outside and started to look around; not giving thought that my clothes were getting wet. "Quorra?" I called again as I started to walk around my apartment. She couldn't have gone far, could she?

"Yes, Sam?" came her casual voice from the direction of the lake that was close to my house. I turned my head immediately at her voice and found her sitting on the shoreline filled with many small rocks. My dog was lying beside her; his head now up from resting on his paws and now facing me.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you have any idea how worried I was when I woke up to find out that you were not inside the house?" I said as I walked over to her. She had a smile on her face, looking like she was really enjoying herself sitting in the rain like that.

She stood up then and turned to face me. "I wanted to see the rain; I wanted to know what it feels like. It feels so different. I like it," she murmured as she spun around and then stopped to face me again. "You can feel the water as it runs down your skin, it is so amazing! I love it, it is so magical," she sighed as she ran her fingers through her sopping wet black hair.

"Well, did you even think that you should have said that you were going outside? You could have woken me, you know," I said to her. "I am supposed to be keeping track of you and you are making it very difficult right now," I told her with a sigh.

"Would you quit it? Can you stop being so pessimistic about everything? I know what I am doing, Sam. if I didn't I probably wouldn't even be here," she told me lightly. "You know I would not have wandered far without telling you. Stop worrying," she soothed as she came to stand in front of me.

That was when I noticed how soaked her clothes were too. It was colder out here now and when I looked at her I could see her body shivering. Her hair was slicked down to her face and to her neck. "Quorra, you are cold, you should have come inside. Come on before you get sick," I murmured as I pulled her along and Marvin followed.

We walked inside and I shut the garage door but then paused. "Hey, how do you know the pass code?" I asked her as I walked back over to her. "I don't remember ever telling you…did I?" I rambled in a mumble.

"Um…I didn't, I hacked into it," she said with a shrug as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

I gaped at her. "You hacked it?" I asked in astonishment. I had no idea she could do that but then again it made a lot of sense.

"Yea, Sam, you should know that hacking into things is very simple for me," she said with a laugh and then stopped as her body racked with a few coughs. She wiped the dripping water from her face and brushed her bangs from out of her face. Her cheeks were rosy now, probably from being outside in the rain for so long.

"Come on, we need to get you out of these clothes," I mumbled as I unzipped her drenched hoodie and placed it on the counter and then after seeing that she had a tank top on, took off her soaked yellow blouse. "You should go get a shower to warm up, ok? We will need to leave soon so we can be on time," I told her.

She nodded in response and headed up the stairs in a hurry. After a few moments of silence I heard the sound of the shower turning on. I picked up the two pieces of her clothing and put them in a basket on top of the washing machine that was in a separate room. I disposed of my won shirt and walked up the stairs so I could put on another one. I picked out a polo shirt and then changed into some jeans. I brushed through my damp hair a few times before sitting down on the bed.

Quorra walked out of the bathroom about fifteen minutes later wearing dark blue skinny jeans and a black and white blouse. She dried her wet black hair and then brushed through it before turning to look at me. "Will we have to ride over there in the rain?" she asked me softly.

"No, see, the rain has stopped. I wouldn't be surprised if you get to see the sunset tonight," I informed her as I stood up. "When you are ready we can go," I told her as I started to leave the room. She grabbed a pair of leather boots with a small but noticeable heel on them and followed me down the stairs.

I grabbed my jacket and slid it on before getting another one for her as she put her boots on. She stood and walked over to me, taking the jacket from my hands and putting it on easily. "How far are they from here?" she asked as I turned off some of the lights, leaving only two lights on. We walked over to the bike and I pressed the button for the garage door to open.

"Not as far as ENCOM but close," I told her as I sat down on the bike and she sat on the bike behind me. I turned on the bike and drove out of the apartment, pressing a button on the bike so the garage door would close.

We drove into town and I pulled into a parking lot with a ten story building that was partially glass. Quorra followed me inside to the first floor lobby. She slowed as she looked around the wide open area. Then she stopped completely. "Sam, what is that? And that?" she asked as she first pointed at the indoor pool and then pointed towards the exercise room.

"They have those in apartments sometimes. I believe that our apartment complex will have one as well. The room with the large square of water is the indoor pool. It is like the lake except it is cleaner and…well indoors. The second room is where we workout, so we can stay in shape. The exercise room," I told her with a smile as I pulled her along towards the elevator.

"Wait…what do you mean by keeping ones shape?" she asked as she stared at the room again. "Like, your bodies build? You have to work out to maintain your physical structure?" she continued with raised eyebrows. I had to think for a moment before decoding what she had said exactly.

"Yes, exactly, although for some people it is easier; sometimes they don't have to do anything. I guess it also has to do with your metabolism and what you eat," I said as the elevator opened and we stepped inside. I pressed level six on the key pad and the doors hut.

"Why aren't there as many numbers and buttons on this one?" she asked as she leaned against the back wall that was filled in instead of glass like she was used to.

"Because there are not as many floors on this one, If the building is taller than it is a lot more likely to have more floors, hence the numbers on the elevator. These buttons represent the floor number that you want to go to and the buttons at the bottom are in case of an emergency, like…if the elevator were to stop moving and lose power," I said with a shrug.

Quorra gasped as the elevator started to rise. "That can happen here? You can get stuck in these things?" she asked, her voice growing a little higher with anxiety as she spoke.

"Don't worry about that, okay? That is very rare so it is nothing to stress over," I soothed as the doors opened and I pulled her along with me again. We walked down the hall and I stopped in front of the door that was familiar to me, suite 632. I knocked on the door as Quorra stood quietly next to me. My arm was still linked with hers and now she was holding onto it. I knew that gesture whether it was intentional or not, she was nervous. "Lora will like you; she is very interested to meet you. Alan said that she is very excited to meet you. Who wouldn't like you?" I said with a smile but watched her frown. I suddenly wished that I could take the last part back but it was too late.

The door opened and we were welcomed by both Alan and Lora. "Hello, Quorra, Sam," he murmured as he opened the door further to let us in before shutting the door behind us. "It is great that you showed up. And Quorra, this is my wife, Lora. Lora this is Quorra," Alan introduced kindly.

Lora walked over to us and stuck her hand out kindly. Quorra imitated the gesture and shook her hand. "It is an honor to meet you, Quorra," she stated as she shook Quorra's hand. Alan had told me that he had informed his wife on who Quorra really was. I didn't mind at all though, I knew that we could trust them both. "I hope that Sam has been very kind to you," she said as she shot me a small smile.

Quorra nodded. "He has been the best," she murmured with a small look in my direction. Well, that was a good thing that meant that I was doing a good job. I beamed at her response.

"Good, good, that is excellent," she murmured. "So, I hope you are up for tacos or shrimp. We didn't know what she liked to eat so we decided to keep it simple," Lora stated as she looked over at Quorra again. "Is that all right with you, dear?" she asked with a kind-hearted smile.

"Tacos? Shrimp?" Quorra asked in return with a look of confusion in my direction.

"I am still introducing her to the many foods," I told Lora with an apologetic grin. "Today was pasta, which she enjoyed very much," I added.

"Alright, that is fine. I promise that you will like this food as well, Quorra," Lora promised with a small laugh as she walked towards the kitchen. "Come on in and make yourselves at home," she called as Alan led us into the main part of their apartment.

"Would you like to watch the game while you wait?" Alan asked as he turned on the television and put it on the Lakers basketball game. I chuckled and nodded. I loved a good game every once in a while, they were very interesting. Quorra and I sat down on the couch as Alan went to go help Lora. I would have asked if they needed my help but every time I did, they rejected it, saying that I was the guest.

"What is this, Sam? Is this some sort of entertainment?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, it is a game, two opposing teams that are trying to see who is better," I started.

"They don't get hurt do they, like in the grid games?" she asked with a sad face that almost made me feel bad.

"No, no one gets hurt. We don't entertain ourselves with those kind of games so you don't have to worry," I promised her. She nodded and we fell into silence again. After a few minutes I saw Alan setting the table as Lora prepared the plates. Once she was done she took two and then Alan took two and they both set them on the table.

"Come on, you two, it's ready," Lora said with a bright smile. I stood first and then Quorra. Alan and Lora sat on one side of the table and I moved to the other side, pulling Quorra's chair out for her in the process. Once we sat though, Lora stood. "Oh, I almost forgot, what would you like to drink? Water, coke, lemonade, tea?" she asked and I almost burst out laughing as I saw Quorra's expression. "We also have champagne for later if that interests you," she added with a smile as she poured two glasses of tea for her and Alan.

"I don't think you have tried lemonade yet, you should try it," I told her and she nodded at me. "Ok, and then one lemonade for me too," I said as she poured another glass of lemonade. She brought them to the table and sat down. Lora said grace and I think that Quorra understood that part because she had her hands clasped in her lap and her head slightly bowed. Once they finished they took a bite.

I picked up a shrimp with my fork and ate and watched in amusement as Quorra carefully picked up the pink shrimp with her fork and did the same. She chewed and then swallowed before sending a smile in my direction. She looked at the taco for a moment and poked it with her fork. "How do you eat a taco?" she asked as she continued to prod the taco with the silver fork.

"Not with a fork, remember the pizza that we ate the other day. This is food that you pick up with your hands too. You eat it with this part facing up," I told her as I showed her how to hold it and then took a bite of my own. She made a little o shape with her mouth and then nodded before doing what I did again. She seemed to have liked it too because she hadn't made a face yet. She drank the lemonade easily; she said that she liked the sweet and sour taste combined as one. She said it was a very interesting twist.

Quorra got full very easily; she finished her shrimp but not the tacos. Maybe it was just the fact that she was not used to eating. We cleared our plates from the table and Lora set out ice cream for us and then set out wine glasses. "Would you like some, Quorra?" she asked as she poured my glass and then Alan's.

"Sure?" she said in a voice that made it sounds like she was asking a question. "What is it?" she asked as she looked at the bottle.

"Champagne, you don't have to have it if you don't want to," Lora told her with an understanding smile.

"Actually, I was going to wait on that for a while. Maybe until she understands because I have no idea how her body will take it," I said carefully.

"Sam, I am insulted, you know I wouldn't get her drunk," Lora said with a teasing frown. "Here, I will pour you some and you can drink it if you want to," she said as she poured Quorra a glass. I just nodded and lifted my drink as Lora sat down. Lora and then Alan lifted their drinks as well but Quorra didn't. I motions for her to copy my movements and she rose her glass carefully. We tipped the glasses and somehow Quorra understood that part. I wondered where she had learned that from or who.

We all took a drink and I was surprised to see that Quorra hadn't pulled her lips away yet. My first try with this stuff, I had almost puked. The taste took some time getting used to. I could see a small grimace set on her face though when she was the first to stop drinking it. Maybe she hadn't liked the aftertaste. "It takes a little time to get used to," Lora said as she saw Quorra's expression.

Quorra picked up her spoon and tasted the ice cream before shuttering. "That is really cold, Sam," she said as she swallowed the now melted ice cream.

"It is supposed to be that way, like the milkshake I had two days ago. It stays cold so it remains a solid," I informed her and she nodded, remembering the conversation we had at the mall about it. We finished our ice cream and then sat around and talked for a while. Lora showed Quorra some of her cook books because she was disappointed that I hadn't shown her all of the different types of foods out there. Alan showed Quorra his book collection as well and she was very entertained with it.

I was hoping that the sun was going to come out before sunset but another blanket of clouds covered the sky as it grew darker, threatening to rain again. Alan and Lora decided that we should leave so we weren't caught in the storm that was sure to come. We all said goodbye and then Quorra and I left.

By the time we got home, Quorra was complaining of a headache and said that she wanted to go to bed. "I don't feel good, Sam," she said and she looked like she was a little dizzy by her footing that was a small fraction less than her normal perfection. We decided to watch a movie in my room tonight. She grabbed a pair of pajamas and went into the bathroom to change as I picked out a movie. I decided on Despicable Me. Quorra had glanced over it one night and said that I looked really cute and that the little yellow characters looked interesting. I did not care to see this movie but since we would both probably be asleep before we got to half of the movie, I didn't mind.

I decided to change clothes then, swiftly taking off my jeans and then disposing of the dress shirt that I had been wearing. I picked up a black t-shirt and started to pull it over my head as Quorra walked out of the bathroom wearing flannel shirts and a hot pink t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of white socks and then sat down on the bed. "Oh, we are watching this move?" she asked with a smile as she pulled the sheets out and rested her head on the pillow.

"Yep," I answered as I lied down in the bed as well and hit play on the remote and then turning off the lights. We both just rested there for a few minutes watching the movie and then Quorra turned her head towards me.

"Sam, why does my head hurt so?" she asked softly.

"You are probably just a little tipsy," I stated with a yawn. "The champagne was alcohol, which is why I wanted to hold off on it," I added. "But it will go away. When you wake up tomorrow morning, it should be gone."

"Mmm, ok Sam," she murmured and then she shifted in the bed so one of her hands was resting in mine and the other was halfway around my neck. "Maybe I will get to sleep better if we do this again. It helped a lot the other night," she stated as she moved in a little closer. I sighed internally at the feelings that rushed through me. Why did she have to be so damn perfect? It really frustrated me.

I could feel her bare and smooth legs run against mine. I wondered if she even realized the effect that she was having on me. I had to abstain though. I knew, even though she hadn't said anything, that she didn't understand a kiss or the feelings felt behind it. I had noticed the slightly confused face sweep over her after I had kissed her on the cheek last night. That was going to take time to teach her about love and the many feelings associated with it. I also knew that now was not the time to teach her that, she just wasn't ready; she was still learning the simple things about this world.

I didn't mind though, I loved the strong relationship we shared. At times, it felt stronger than a friendship and made everything the more worthwhile. That relationship defined the two of us, even though I didn't know how to name this unique bond that we shared.

Quorra's sleepy voice brought my soaring thoughts back down to earth, to her again. "Goodnight, Sam," she murmured as I moved closer to her and placed my hand on the side of her stomach.

"Goodnight, Quorra."

**_Love it? Hate it? Let me know by reviewing my chapter! I love that u guys r reviewing my story and u have no idea on how much it makes my day to see all of those! Thanks everyone!_**

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	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey, everyone! Here is another chapter! And thanks so much for all of the reviews! You guys are awesome. Thanks again to my beta reader: illational for the amazing work on beta-ing this story! Enjoy everyone!_**

Quorra POV

I jolted awake and sat upright in the bed as I heard a very loud crashing noise. Actually, I didn't know how to describe it; it was like a deafening loud rumble that lasted for all of three seconds. What was that? What had just happened? I looked around the room, partially terrified and anxious, afraid of what I might see. But there was nothing, the room was dark but I could still see the outline of shapes in the room from various glowing objects around me. I could hear that same rushing water noise from earlier, letting me know that it was raining once again, but this time the rain was harder and louder and I could hear it hitting the window from a slant. There was a bright flash that materialized from outside the window, causing the room to light up for a brief moment before everything became dark again. Barely a second after that flash occurred, another booming noise that was louder than the first filled the air, running through my ears and making me cringe. I heard this one for a little longer, listening as the rumbling noise slowly traveled away from my sensitive ears.

A hand rested on my lower back softly. I jumped at the contact and turned to faintly see Sam's eyes opened and looking at me. I must have woken him up; I hadn't meant to disturb him. I sighed as I remembered how we had fallen asleep, our bodies closely twined as my consciousness slowly slipped away. My sudden movement must have woken him from his sleep as well. I frowned as I felt bad for waking him, he needed to sleep, he looked so tired the past few days and now I was getting in the way. "I'm so sorry, Sam, I didn't mean to wake you up," I whispered as he shifted ever so slightly so one side of his face was resting on his soft pillow. He rubbed one of his eyes and I watched as he looked over at the digital clock on one of the dressers. His mouth opened into a wide o shape with no noise erupting as he did this. Sam had told me the other night when I had done the same action that it was called a yawn and a person did it when they were normally tired. He closed his mouth and I could see his body shake and hear him as he laughed quietly.

"Don't worry about it Quorra," he mumbled as he looked over towards the window as another bright flash lit up the dark room. I cringed again at the obstreperous and turbulent noise. "That's thunder, Quorra. It is common in rainstorms like these. It's very normal," he grumbled as he ran his hand over my bock soothingly. I took that as an opportunity to quiet my racing heart and calm down a little. I breathed in deeply and then let out the breath in the next moment. I had never experienced something that noisy before, it almost hurt my ears at the height of the sound. "Come here," he murmured as he tugged at my torso and I complied, lying back onto the edge of my pillow closest to Sam. "You will get used to it," he added as he moved his hand to hold mine. "I thought there was lightning and thunder on the Grid. I could've sworn I had seen and heard it while I was there…" he rambled and then the concept dawned on me.

I nodded in his direction. "Yes, you are right, but we didn't call it that. It was just one of the characteristics of the Grid. I had never imagined though that it could be this loud in reality, sometimes I could rarely hear the thunder even when I was out on the outskirts. It was something that we didn't really care to pay attention to there, it was just…something that would always remain," I told him as I felt his warm thumb caress the back of my hand absentmindedly. I could feel his unique texture on his thumb as it moved against the soft and smooth skin of mine. I relaxed into the pillow and pulled the sheets and covers up to cover my body and Sam's for the extra sense of comfort. "So will this always happen from now on like the Grid? Does it mean I won't be able to see the sun again because of it?" I asked him with a sad face. I liked the sun and had not seen it enough of it to be ready for it to be gone.

He laughed a little louder this time and my confused face turned into a frown. "No, Quorra, I already told you, the sun will always be there, and once the storm front heads out you will be able to see it again just like you had the past three days. The sun will never disappear," he said to me with a matter of fact tone. I sighed in relief at his declaration and smiled. Maybe if the storm went away I would be able to see it in the morning, I hadn't watched the sunset in what felt like a while. I glanced over at the clock that read 2:51. There was still quite a lot of time before the sun would rise, so maybe the clouds would be gone by then. But what if I missed it? That would be the third time in a row and that just would not do.

"Sam, can we stay up until sunrise? I want to watch the sunrise again," I told him and I heard his faint grunt of disapproval. "I don't want to miss it today, please?" I asked with a pout that he probably could not see in the darkness.

"Quorra, it's too early to stay up until sunrise, which is about four hours. May I remind you that we need sleep to function," he stated in a wary voice. "I can set an alarm if you would like me too. I will not be able to stay up for that much longer let alone four hours," he added as he picked up his phone from the nightstand and started messing with the touch screen. "Will that be ok with you?" he asked as he set the phone back down.

"Yes," I murmured. "But what if it doesn't go off when it's supposed to, that phone looks like it can be very inaccurate if it wants to be. What if it forgets that you set the alarm?" I asked him skeptically.

He sighed loudly. "The phone will not forget…it's an electronic device, they are programmed to do what orders and inputs it has been given. It will go off," he said as he let out another yawn. "Now please go back to sleep," he said as another round of thunder bellowed through the air.

I nodded and quieted myself, sensing the annoyed tenor to his voice. "Alright, Sam," I murmured before I lapsed into silence and then into a deep sleep.

As I slept this time though, I could see pictures in my head, Flynn had referred to these things as a dream, I believe…

_I was on earth, in a home, not like the apartment like Sam owned but something more on the lines of what I used to live in on the Grid with Flynn. The familiarity of the home was almost shocking to me. I gasped in my dream as I turned around to see the familiar figure sitting in a leather chair. The figure brought tears to my dreaming body and I ran forward to hug him fiercely. Kevin Flynn was here on earth, along with me but where was Sam.?_

"_Quorra, dear, you can change the world," his voice echoed but his lips had never moved while I heard the words. Maybe it was from a memory that I had of him, he would tell me that a lot. "I have faith in you, I know that you can do this," he said and this time his lips moved, pronouncing each word skillfully, like he had been rehearsing those lines for as long as I had known him._

"_But I don't know how to do it, Flynn," my voice echoed in a soft murmur as he released me. "I had thought that you would have been here to guide me along the way. I wasn't expecting to be alone in this," I continued as I looked down at his familiar form sitting in the leather chair in front of me._

"_You aren't alone, Quorra," he told me with a loving smile. "I do recall leaving you with Sam. You haven't forgotten about him, have you?" he asked with a wry smile that he usually held when he was playing around with me._

"_Of course not," I told him with a smile that probably showed him more than I knew. "I would never forget about Sam," I said as I looked towards the window where I could see bright rays caused from the sun that was shining beautifully outside._

_He chuckled softly. "Yes, you two have grown very close," he noted with a slight raise to his eyebrows. "You are just what my son needed, I guess I chose right when I took you in," he murmured in a soft voice. "You have helped him gain a new perspective of things which is what he needed," he went on as he picked up a book that rested on a small glass table beside him._

"_Yes, we do have a very strong bond, I trust him completely," I said as I looked at the book that he held in his hand. It was the Jules Verne book that I had always been attached to._

"_Yes, and you should be able to. He will take very good care of you no matter what. You will be safe with him, he really cares about you," he told me with a smile._

_Just as he said those words, I heard a door shut quietly and turned to see Sam walking towards us. He stopped in front of me, not even acknowledging his father sitting in the chair at the moment. His arms slid around my waist and pulled me closer before he bent his head and brought his lips to mine. This kiss was unlike the first one, the sensations causing my body to turn into flames that wanted something to sedate its thirst. Before I had any more time to think, he had pulled his lips away from mine, leaving me standing there with wide eyes and my breath coming in deeper breaths._

_Flynn chuckled and watched as Sam left through the glass front door with one more glance in our direction and then he was gone from my view. "See?" he said as if it was obvious now but I still didn't understand. I continued to look in the direction that Sam had left in until Flynn brought my attention to him. "Don't you see?" he asked with a happy smile. "He loves you, Quorra," Flynn murmured as he stared into my eyes. "And from the way that he looks at you I would say very much," he added as he turned his head to the door for a brief second before looking back at me._

_I looked at him with a measured gaze. "But do I? I don't understand this; it is so new to me. I have never experienced physical affection in this way before," I told him in a small voice. "I don't know if I can make him happy with not knowing," I whispered as I ran my fingers through my hair._

"_You will figure all of that out when the time is right. You are very bright, Quorra and I know that it won't take you long to understand," he told me with a smile._

"_But what if I can't?" I asked him as I sat on the arm of the chair._

"_You will," he promised me as he laid a hand on my shoulder softly. I continued to look at him, waiting on answers that I knew he always had. "I can't teach you about love, I am sorry. It is one of those things that you can't be taught, you have to learn it on your own. Everyone is different and so is the feelings but I will promise you that you will know the feeling when It hits you. It will be unmistakable and you will never forget it," he told me._

_I nodded at him and smiled before looking directly at him again. "I miss you," I told him quietly._

_He met my gaze and smiled at me. "You can't miss what has never left, my dear," he informed me with a grin. "I have never left. I will always be here to guide you along the way," he told me as he touched my cheek. "Now you…must be going. You wouldn't want to miss your sunset, now would you?" he asked with a laugh._

_I smiled at him and nodded. "Thank you, Flynn, for everything," I whispered as I saw his figure starting to fade from the black leather chair._

"_I am always here, Quorra. And remember what I said…about everything. If anyone can do it, it's you," his words echoed as he disappeared completely. Once he was gone, the dream left with him, sending me back into the real world._

I opened my eyes slowly and I heard a ringing and buzzing noise coming from somewhere. Sam was still asleep beside me, his arms still enveloped around me like they had been when I had fallen back asleep again. I removed myself from his warm hold gently and quietly so I wouldn't wake him and got out of bed to search for the device that was making the noise. I finally reached the nightstand where I saw a light flashing on Sam's phone. I picked it up and remembered that he had set an alarm on his phone earlier. He had taught me how to use a phone on my second day here so I knew how to turn the alarm off on my own. I looked out the window and saw that the clouds were gone from last night. I looked down at Sam and decided that I wouldn't wake him, walking out of the room and going down the stairs quietly.

Marvin welcomed me, running over to me and looking up at me with his adorable eyes and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. I bent to pet him and then straightened up so I could go get one of my jackets. I quickly put it on and walked over to the garage door, hacking into the system once again and smiling to myself as the door opened quietly. Marvin ran out with me walking at a leisurely pace behind him. He stopped at the lake's bank and sat down facing me with his tail wagging. I laughed and took a seat on the ground next to him in the partial darkness. He stood then and crawled into my lap as I looked out over the water that reflected the city on it.

I had so many questions. There were so many things that I was still curious about. Why had Flynn just left me hanging like that? My mind was whirling with possibilities of what he had said. I wish I could go back so he could tell me what he meant by everything. How was I supposed to change the world? I was no different than anyone else, right?

My hand moved hermetically down Marvin's back as my mind moved to Sam. He was very special to me, I knew that much. It was like he had woven himself deep inside me and now I couldn't live without him. He wasn't just Kevin Flynn's son anymore, nor this strange user that I had rescued from the Grid games, he meant a lot more than that now. He made me feel happy and safe, like as long as I was with him, I was invincible. I really, really liked him.

That dream had felt so real that I wondered for a brief minute if it was. Flynn wasn't here though, that much I knew and that's what made me verify that I was a dream. It was nice to see him again even though it wasn't real. I missed him but I had a feeling deep inside me that believed he was here.

I remembered the way that Sam had kissed me, how passionate and fervently his lips had caressed mine, or at least I think that was how to describe how it felt. I remembered the heat that burned its way through my body, not burning me but brining everything to life inside me. I felt truly alive at that moment, like I actually had a purpose here on this earth other than to save humanity. That kiss had stirred me into a reality that I truly enjoyed.

_He really loves you, Quorra,_ the voice echoed in my head. Love? I remembered that word from the dictionary and I scanned through the many definitions listed underneath that particular world. The two that had matched best with the context that Flynn had used and the situation had my heart and brain racing. Love, a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person or sexual passion or desire.

Could Sam really love me? He knew I was an ISO, why would he love a being that is or at least was a program? And furthermore, could I return those feelings? Could it be possible for me to love him too? Affection was never something that came to me easily, especially physical affection. My programming had never been taught on such things. I didn't even know if I was designed for such things. I had never had the need to be so close to anyone before.

Had Flynn known that this was going to happen? Was that why he was so persistent on having me on earth with his son? Had he really expected me alone to change the world, or was this what I was supposed to do? Be with his son.

I sighed and then smiled as I looked over the water again, starting to see the rays of the sun starting to rise to the right of the large city, where that mountain was. I watched intently as the sun slowly but surely made its way higher above the summit of the small mountain. I wish I had brought my sunglasses outside then, the sun was very bright and it was hurting my eyes, causing me to squint them to a certain degree.

It was still just as beautiful, maybe even more beautiful from when I had seen it the first day. I felt instantly warmer and lighter, like my mind was being freed from everything for a while.

I sat there in silence as the sun rose higher, soon reaching over the mountain after about five minutes if I had to take a guess. I sat there for a little longer, just admiring the sun in all of its glory. Marvin was now resting in my lap, his head lying on my left thigh while the rest of his body was snuggled inside the space that my legs offered while sitting in a criss-cross position.

After a while, I became tired of sitting on my butt so I moved so Marvin would move. I stood and walked towards Sam's makeshift apartment and stopped as I reached the keypad. I was about to hack the small system but then the door opened. I frowned and turned to see Sam walk out and stare at me. He leaned against the side of the apartment and partly glared at me. "Hi, Sam," I said to him with a smile.

"I distinctly remember telling you to tell me when you decided to spontaneously leave the house didn't I?" he asked with his eyebrows raised as he crossed his arms. I smiled and rolled my eyes, walking up towards him and leaning against the wall about a foot or two from him.

"Well, one, it was not spontaneous, I went to go watch the sunrise, which you had set an alarm on your phone to make sure we didn't miss it. And two, I agreed to no such thing, maybe you agreed to it but I told you that I know how to take care of myself. That statement still stands," I told him indifferently as I looked out towards the lake again. "I mean, seriously, Sam, what could possibly happen here?" I said with a frown as I turned my head back to him.

"A lot of things," he stated evenly. "Not everyone is going to be nice to you, Quorra, not everyone will like you," he said with a sad smile. "You don't understand, people still hurt others here," he told me.

"I know that, I have read books and the dictionary, I know that this world isn't a utopia like some people wish," I stated as I backed off of the wall and headed inside the warm home. "Flynn told me that too, but I am just telling you that I can handle myself. I have instincts too, you know," I added with a small smile.

Sam followed me inside and shut the garage door. Marvin was already inside eating dog food out of the food bowl that was beside one of his beds. Sam let out a small little laugh then and shook his head at me in disbelief. "It's really hard to be mad at you, is that some sort of talent?" he said as he walked into the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. "But, just be cautious of your surroundings, ok?" he asked.

"You're ridiculous, Sam," I sighed as I walked into the kitchen and sat on the counter top with a smile, letting my legs dangle over the counter.

"Glad you think so," he commented as he poured some of the coffee mix into the chrome machine. "So, for today, I hope you are ready to go explore. I was thinking maybe the zoo and the aquarium, since you like fish so much. And maybe, if we have some time at the end of the day, we can go see a movie at the cinema," he stated. "So, are you up for it?" he asked me with a smile.

"Of course, I am, I have heard of a zoo before, it's a place where you can see many different animals in their own little habitats but in the same place, right?" I asked with a large smile. That sounded very interesting, I had heard of the many animals that lived on this planet. "And I would suppose that an aquarium is where you can see the aquatic animals, like fish," I said with a happy clap of my hands.

"That's right," he said as he picked out a box of waffles from the top part of the refrigerator and then put two of them in the toaster mechanism. "Which would you like to go to first?" he asked me as he turned his head to look at me.

"The aquarium, I want to go there first! Can we get a fish while we are there?" I asked him with a bright smile.

"No…it doesn't work like that. I mean, they may have a pet fish in the gift shop but the aquatic animals that they have there stay in the tanks so other people can see them," he told me. I nodded at him as he went on. "And we probably wouldn't have room for most of the animals there," he laughed. "I think they have a dolphin show at ten if you want to watch that," he said as he set out two plates.

"Dolphin show?" I asked with a confused smile as I hopped off of the counter and got out two clear glassed from another shelf as he got the waffles out of the toaster and put in another set of two.

"Yes, they will do tricks, and there will be trained people in the water with them," he stated. "It looks really amazing and like a lot of fun," he added.

"That does sound like fun," I commented as Sam handed me a container of orange juice. I poured it in the two glasses and then placed the two glasses on the island where the two chairs were. We fell into silence then as we worked together to get breakfast ready. My mind started to float back to the dream that I had and I decided to tell Sam about some of it. "I had a dream last night," I started off as I turned and leaned against the table with a smile.

"You did?" he said as he took the other two waffles out and placed them on the other plat. "What was it about?" he asked as he took a knife out and started to cut the waffles into pieces. I walked over next to him and picked out a knife and did the same with my own.

"It felt so real, Flynn was there, and you were too," I said and I silently weighed my options. "I suppose I don't exactly know what it was about but…" I trailed off, not knowing how to explain what I was trying to explain. "I liked it nonetheless," I settled for with a smile.

"I was there?" he asked as he turned to look at me. I felt a strange warmth or heat rush towards my cheeks and recognized it as a blush, something caused by being embarrassed.

"Yeah," I murmured softly as I focused on my plate of waffles intently. "Not for long though," I added as I set down the knife.

He smiled. "It's fascinating how everything can feel so real when you dream, doesn't it?" he stated in a calm voice and I looked up to see him smiling as he looked out the window.

"Yeah, it is, it's very interesting how that works here," I sighed as I picked a fork up and brought my plate to the table as Sam did. We both took our seats and Sam handed me a napkin. "I liked it; it felt like I didn't have any limitations on what could be done. Although, I am not sure how it works," I said as I took a sip of my coffee.

He smiled in my direction once more and took a bite of his waffle with his fork. He chewed and then swallowed, never taking his eyes off of mine. "I am not very sure on how to explain the concept but you are right. You can practically do anything you want inside of a dream, no limitations," he murmured. We lapsed into silence this time but it didn't last long. I figured that maybe Sam would have an idea on how to help me.

"How am I supposed to do it, Sam?" I asked quietly as I moved the waffle pieces around on my plate. "How am I supposed to 'make all the difference' here?" I rephrased with a shake of my head. "Flynn had said that I could change the world, which is why he kept me, that's why he made sure that I got here. He thought that I had something to offer this earth but I don't know what it is," I went on in a breath, my face scrunching with guilt.

Sam didn't say anything though; he set his fork down and clasped his hands together on the table. He seemed to think for a moment before he decided to answer me. "He didn't just keep you are because you are an ISO, Quorra, he would have still saved you even if you were just a regular program," he told me with an apologetic glance. "But look, I am not my father, I didn't do my best in school, I dropped out of college, I can't do anything right. I don't have the knowledge that he did," he sighed. "I don't know anything about your kind, he probably knew as much as possible," he went on. "Your kind is impossible in this world. Maybe that is what he meant, just merely being superior or something on the lines of that," he said with a small shrug.

"But he made it sound like I should be able to make things better here," I objected. "What if I can do something but I don't know what is?" I asked him. "Maybe we could get a scientist's help, Flynn said that there are people on earth that study molecules that are similar to my kind. He said that, people look for the possibility of my kind's existence," I said desperately.

"No," Sam said harshly, jerking my head up to see his facial expression. "That's dangerous. They would lock you away, run tests on you, see how you are so different from us," he stated. "You look human, Quorra, but there is no telling whether you changed so you accommodate this world. You could still be different from us," he went on. "And the tests that they would run would eventually kill you," he said with tight lips and narrowed eyes. "That isn't the best thing for you, Q."

"But Flynn wanted-"

"I know what he wanted," he stated in a sharp voice. "We will find out, okay? But first you still need to learn as much as you can about this world before you can make a change, am I right?" he said with a small smile, trying to lighten the tense mood.

I laughed softly and shook my head. "I guess not," I murmured as I took another bite of my waffle and then a sip of the coffee.

"Good," he said as he stood with his finished plate and walked over to the sink, washing it out and then pacing it in the dishwasher. I finished some of my breakfast and Sam told me to just dump the rest out. He took my plate from me and eyed me. "You might want to go change, unless you want to wear that out today," he stated as he looked at me.

I realized then that I was still in my pajamas and a hoodie but I pouted up at Sam. "What is wrong with what I am wearing?" I asked innocently with a hurt tone. I could have laughed at the facial expression on his face.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean it like that…I was just saying…" he trailed off as he scratched his head and looked around the room with his face scrunched up.

"I was kidding, Sam," I said with an easy laugh. "You aren't the only one that can joke around, you know," I stated with another laugh. He sighed slightly and chuckled at me.

I liked knowing when to laugh and it sounded a lot more natural, instead of my forced laughs when I thought things were funny. I liked how laughing felt here, the small tickle in my mouth as my breath moved differently felt,. I smiled up at him once more before walking up the stairs.

I looked through my clothes and then went into the bathroom to get a shower. Once I finished showering, I got dressed and brushed through my damp hair. I was wearing skinny jeans and a red blouse that was cut lower to my chest than the other shirts I had worn. The exposed skin felt there felt odd so I searched for my leather jacket. I walked downstairs, remembering where I had left it two days ago.

"You ready to go?" Sam asked as I walked past him and picked up my jacket from in the closet where it hung. I put it on and put on a pair of simple flats that we had got two days ago.

"Yes, Sam," I answered as I walked up to where he stood next to his bike. He got on and I followed behind him and placed myself like I always did.

"All right then, to the aquarium."

**_So? Love it? Hate it? Thinks its...ehh? But now...it is time for you all to vote for your opinions. I have recieved some reviews and PM's about this but...it is up to those of you who vote on this chapter._**

**_Do you guys think it is time for Quorra and Sam to start the in progress relationship? Or do you think i should wait some more? Reivew me or PM me to answer the question. I want a lot of votes on this! This will change the story to a degree (to the romance genre that you see under my story)_**

**_Plz review everyone! I am doing shout-outs next chapter! :) See you all soon!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey, guys, I am back! Sorry about the long gap, I feel really bad on not updating but I have been super busy. My track team just starting competing so I am always running around (literally lol) and doind something. Sorry again and I hope to have chapter 9 out by Sunday at the latest to make up for everything! ENJOY guys!_**

Quorra POV

It was Monday morning now, after a great two day weekend exploring Las Angeles with Sam. We went to the zoo, aquarium, the movie theaters, SeaWorld, a beach, and then we had gone to the mall.

We had gone to the aquarium first on Saturday and that was my favorite activity throughout Saturday. The entire place was huge and there were so many more aquatic animals than I had ever imagined. Every different type of species had their own section or tank inside the aquarium. Some tanks were larger than others and some were very small, for the tiny fish that were different colors. There were really big animals, like sharks, which I learned were one of the top predators in the world, whales, larger than sharks and mainly ate this tiny fish called krill. There were also dolphins, which were my favorite big aquatic animal, it was a mammal just like the shark and whale but was more playful and a little smaller. They made a very high-pitched squealing noise that was a way of communication for them. Sam had taken me to what was called and acrobat show, which was absolutely amazing. There were trained professionals in the salty water with about five dolphins and together they would do amazing tricks. The dolphins could flip in the air and they would even splash the crowd but Sam didn't seat us that close. Some of the trainers would stand on the dolphins noses and I had asked Sam if that hurt them but he said no. I thought it was amazing.

My other favorite animal was the penguin. They were so cute and there were so many different breeds of them that I saw. Some of them were just block with white stomachs while others had yellow across their heads. The way they moved made me laugh and want to try it. They waddled. They could swim too, very fast in the water. Some of them would dive off of a little ledge in the exhibit and easily maneuver in the water. It amazed me.

After the aquarium, we had gone to the zoo, which I found almost as amusing. These land animals were very bizarre. My favorite animal there was the white tiger. We had spent a long time there, me right in front of the glass with the tiger staring right at me. Sometimes it would pace back and forth across the glass window and then stop right in front of me, looking at me with wide green eyes. I thought it was cute and I asked Sam if I could get one as a pet and he said no. He said that they were too big for the type of place that we were moving into soon and he had said that they aren't always nice. So I decided to stick to our plans of getting a big fish tank with a lot of fish in it.

After the zoo, Sam had decided to take me out to dinner. We went to a really nice restaurant that served seafood. Sam had ordered crab for me, which turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be. After we had finished eating out Sam stopped at an ice cream parlor and he bought us ice cream that was in this edible and strange looking cone. Sam had me try chocolate ice cream, which I found less appealing than the vanilla ice cream that we had at Alan's home. Sam told me to switch with him and after minutes of persisting that he eat his own, we switched and I tried cookies n' cream ice cream which I now think was my personal favorite.

We went to go see The Social Network at the movie theaters around eight in the evening, after watching the sunset and we both loved the movie. I found the movie similar to Inception, not with what the characters were trying to achieve but by how the plot was moving along in the movie. I paid attention very carefully so I would understand everything but a few things seemed to slip through.

It was a little after midnight when we got back to Sam's apartment and we both crashed after being home for about thirty minutes.

On Sunday, Sam took me to SeaWorld, which was a lot of fun. There were these interesting rides there, all having something to do, or a theme similar to the theme park itself. I got to feed the dolphins, which made me very excited and then after that Sam took me to where you could pet sting rays. The idea had scared me at first because I had read that these creatures could sting you and that it would hurt but Sam along with the tour guide that was in charge reassured me that these sting rays had no stingers.

After we spent about half of the day at SeaWorld, Sam took me to a beach called Venice. There was so much water! The water went on from farther than I could see, stretching across the sky almost. The waves moved so perfectly but at the same time so recklessly that I could barely pull my eyes away from the rushing water. Sam and I took our shoes off and we walked along the edge of the water so I could feel it. It was really cold, so cold that the first few times I flinched away from it but as we continued to walk, I became used to the lapping cool water at my feet.

We walked along the beach for a while until Sam had received a phone call from Alan and then we had to leave. I asked Sam what was going on and he said that someone important was coming here and his assistant had booked a dinner formal conference with them for tomorrow evening. He started rambling then and I got the impression that he was nervous and stressed.

When we got to the mall, he seemed a little more relaxed and he started to tell me what had happened. He said that the people that were in charge of ENCOM in Russia were having issues with the fact that the newest program that had been leaked.

Sam got fitted for an outfit called a tuxedo for the formal occasion and then he paid for it. He said that we needed to get me a dress for the occasion and I followed him as he led me to another part of the store.

There was more effort that went into finding a dress than what Sam had gone through. I didn't understand why I couldn't just get fitted for a dress like Sam had gotten fitted for his tuxedo. Sam and I picked out a few dresses and he told me to go try them on and see which one fit the best and the one that I liked the best.

I liked these dresses. I liked how they were very different than the uniform that I had on the Grid and also different from what I was wearing now. Some of the dresses would hug my upper body in a comfortable fit and when it reached my hips, the bottom part of the dress would loosen and gradually fan out around my legs. Others didn't have any sleeves but it would somehow stick to my body, I didn't like these ones as much because I was not at all used to an outfit without any straps or sleeves to it. Some of them were very pretty, they would sparkle when I moved and would have a pretty ribbon or bow across the top of it.

Sam decided to let me get more than one, saying that just in case something else comes up that we wouldn't have to come back out and pick out another dress. We got four dresses, all of them a different style and color from each other.

Sam had someone drop the clothes off at his apartment as we went out to grab a quick dinner. I wasn't very hungry though, so I had a few bites and waited while Sam ate about half of his own food before we left.

We got home a lot earlier on Sunday, we watched the sunset and watched a movie on his TV as I slowly dozed off.

I had another dream last night, the same dream that I had on Friday night with a few slight and minor changes. the dream was starting to bother me, not the dream itself I guess, I liked the dream, it made me more than happy. It was like a giant riddle now, lingering in my head without me finding any answers.

"Would you like some coffee, Quorra?" Sam's voice made me jump in my seat and look up at him from where he stood at the counter. He frowned at me slightly. "You ok? Did you sleep alright last night?" he asked me with a worried gaze.

"Um…yea," I mumbled. "Just a little tired still, I guess," I lied as I put in a little yawn to play the role a little better. He studied for a minute before deciding to drop it. He poured me a cup of coffee and handed it to me. I took it and drank some of it easily. Sam was putting his dishes away and I copied his actions after eating a slice of bacon. I drank a few more sips of coffee before I poured the rest out like Sam had done with the rest of his.

"You ready to go?" he asked me as I walked over to the closet to grab a jacket. I nodded as I pulled it on and put my shoes on. We walked over to the bike and Sam let me drive again today. We opened up the garage door and I saw a small truck pulling into the yard. "Just on time," I heard Sam mumble from where he sat behind me.

"Who is that?" I asked Sam curiously as I looked at the five people that got out of the truck.

"The movers, while we are gone today and tomorrow they are going to move the things that I want into our new apartment. It makes it a lot easier for me and they won't be moving much out. I decided to get some new furniture instead of keeping most of this stuff," he told me as I started the bike and cautiously drove out.

We reached the tower within twenty minutes and I parked Sam's bike in the lower parking deck. We both got off and walked over to the elevator, getting in as Sam pressed the star button. We moved upwards and walked into the lobby when the doors glided open. Sam talked to the receptionist about the guests that may show up today before we went to the west elevator. We rode up to the second highest level and then walked into Sam's office.

Sam walked over to his desk and turned on his laptop as I walked over to the other desk, sitting down and then spinning in the chair before I turned on the laptop that sat in front of me. I wanted to look up some things today but I got side-tracked when I opened up the web browser. It opened up to a news page and the headline horrified me.

_Group shot dead Outside of Restaurant._

I read the article and it made me feel very sad. "Sam?" I asked as I looked up from the computer screen and horrible pictures to see Sam typing on his laptop. "Why do people kill each other? Do they think it is a game like on the Grid?" I asked him sadly.

"No…" he started as he looked up and scratched his head for a moment. "Remember those shows that you like to watch? The ones where they are trying to figure out who did what and why it happened?" he went on and I nodded towards him. "Well, it is sort of like that, I suppose. No one knows why exactly. The person could just be mad and decided to harm others because it would make then feel better. Some people just snap for whatever reasons, and do things like that," he told me. "I told you that this isn't a perfect world, we aren't all friends," he said with an odd look on his face.

"But why would you lash out to other people, innocent people?" I asked him. "That's not right, they have lives too," I murmured quietly. "Why would someone want to do that on purpose? When they know that they are doing the wrong thing," I went on.

Sam let out a humorous laugh. "I don't know the why's or the how's, Quorra, it's just…it is what it is," he tried.

I decided to settle for the answer that Sam gave me because the door opened to his office then. Alan walked in with a bright smile. "Hello, Sam, Quorra," he greeted us both as he walked over to Sam. "How was your weekend?" he asked us.

That got my mind off of the article and I spun in my chair with excitement. "It was so much fun! I never knew that there was so much to do here. Sam took me to so many places that it was just awesome," I said happily as I looked up at Alan.

He laughed quietly and nodded. That is good. Lora is looking forward to seeing you tonight, will you be going with Sam?" he asked me with a smile.

"Yes, she is," Sam answered for me. "So now, I guess neither of her or Lora will be bored," he added with a knowing laugh. I fell into silence as they chatted for some time, going over plans and the market stock at the moment. They talked about finances and put together a small slideshow of sorts in case there were questions asked about the downfall of the company in the past two weeks.

I was not interested in what they were talking about so I decided to turn my attention back to the computer, looking at all of the installments of the Jules Verne books and researching a few authors that I had heard of. I wanted to read all of the books by Jules Verne, I loved how he wrote about things, about how he perceived things as what they were. He was very talented.

Sam and Alan left for about an hour but when they came back, another man was with them, showing them something on Sam's laptop. About halfway through talking though, he noticed me. "Who is this?" he asked in a curious but subdued voice as he motioned towards me.

I smiled and got out of my seat to meet this person. "I'm Quorra,"' I told him.

"Quorra, this is Ben Freeman. He is in charge of technical support and partial treasury here," Sam said and the man stuck his hand out to shake mine.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he said as we shook hands. I slowly retreated back to my desk as they continued to talk for a little while. Ben and Alan left at the same time and Sam stood from his chair.

"We can go now if you are done," he said as he walked over to me and looked at my screen. At the moment, I was reading a summary for a book that Jules Verne had written.

"Yes, I am. Can we get all of these books?" I asked as I turned off the computer and stood as well. "I really want to read them all," I added.

"Actually, I have somewhat of a surprise for you," he told me and my eyes widened.

"Really? What is it?" I asked as he started to walk to the door. I followed behind him ,eager now.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" he asked with a laugh as he held the door open for me and I walked out. "You will find out on Wednesday," he told me with a smirk.

"Wednesday? But that is so long to wait," I whined as we got into the elevator and rode it down to the lobby.

"But you are going to love it, I know you will. It will be worth the wait, I promise," he told me with a laugh.

Sam drove us home and when we got home, the movers were gone. The house was a little emptier now, a few things missing from certain places. "So where did they put everything?" I asked Sam as I looked around the apartment as he took off his jacket.

"In the new apartment, the rest of the stuff is either being thrown away or donated, whatever they decide," he told me. "I don't need it anymore," he said.

I nodded and smiled as Marvin ran up to us, welcoming us both by jumping up on our legs happily. I laughed and bent down to pet the small dog. Sam walked over to grab Marvin's leash and bent to put it on his collar. "Want to go down to the lake?" he asked me with an impish grin.

I nodded eagerly and changed into more comfortable shoes and then following Sam and Marvin out of small home. We took the longer way this time, walking around the lake that was on the edge of Sam's apartment.

We entered the park from the east this time and this time it was a large clearing with a stone thing in the middle that spewed water. "Sam, what is that?" I asked him as I walked over to the new object and looked at it.

"It is a fountain," he stated as he walked over to me and then sat down on bench part of it. "It's here to simply beautify this area," he murmured. "See the coins at the bottom? He asked me as he pointed into the rippling water. I looked into the water and saw pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters in the clear water.

I frowned at that. Did someone loose their money? Or did someone drop it all in there and couldn't get it out? "Why is it there?" I asked him as my eyes focused at the bottom of the pool of water.

He smiled. "There is a saying that says if you throw a coin into a fountain and make a wish, that it will come true," he told me softly. "People intentionally put coins in there in hopes that their wishes will come true," he clarified.

"Oh, really? You can make a wish on a coin and it will come true?" I asked him with wide and curious eyes. "Can I make a wish?" I asked him as I turned to face him.

"Sure," he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his back pocket and pulled out two dimes. He handed me one and held the other in his hand. He looked down at the coin and then at the water. He seemed to think for a moment before flicking the coin into the water with his thumb.

I frowned and looked at the dime in my hand. "How do I make a wish?" I asked him as I picked up the dime and looked at it strangely.

"Well, that's not how," he started with a laugh. "Just think about something that you really want," he told me. "When you think of it, toss the coin in and then your done," he told me.

"But what about it coming true?" I asked him.

"That will take more time than jus a few seconds," he told me. "There is no guarantee when the wish will come true," he told me but something about how his face was set told me that there was more to it. I nodded anyways and thought of something that I really wanted.

I really thought about what I would wish for. My thoughts wondered to Sam though, and of Flynn, and then to the dream that I had continuously. Was there a way to fit all three into the same wish? Which was more important to me? Doing what Flynn wanted me to do here or being with Sam? They were both conflicting each other, trying to take the majority over the other. I wanted to change the world like Flynn had wanted me to do but at the same time, I wanted something more with Sam, something that I could barely explain but I knew was there. Which did I want more?

I decided on what my heart and mind knew was best. _I wish that I could fulfill what Flynn wanted me to do…with Sam by my side along the way._

I smiled at how perfect that ended up sounding. I flipped the coin into the water and hoped that the wish would come true in the near future. I stood and looked at Sam with a happy smile. "There, now when will it come true?" I asked him eagerly.

"I don't know, whenever it is time for the wish to come true, but it won't work if you tell anyone," he told me as he stood and pulled on Marvin's lead, beckoning the small dog over to us both. I nodded and Sam and I walked side by side through the park. We stopped every once in a while as Marvin sniffed at bushes and trees until we reached the edge of the small patch of woods.

Sam released Marvin from his lead and Marvin took off into the trees with three happy barks. Sam and I walked at a regular pace until we reached the downward slope that led to the dock on the lake. It was becoming easier to get up and down the slope now, it just took practice and knowing what was on the slope that you could possibly slip on.

Sam and I walked onto the dock and I sat down on the edge of the dock, letting my feet swing off of the dock. After a minute, Sam sat down beside me, letting his legs hand over the dock as well. We sat in silence for a long time, both of us wrapped up in our own thoughts.

I hoped that my wish would come true, that I could do what Flynn wanted me to do and then be with Sam. At times, I almost didn't care about the fact that I was here to change the world. Some times, my mind was solely thinking about Sam, like he was a subject that I was absolutely fascinated with. The reason why I was here became the second factor that was growing less and less important as time went on.

Flynn was not the only reason why I was here. If it wasn't for Sam coming to find me, I wouldn't be here. He had wasted time, time where him and his father could have gotten safely away, for me. Him and his father could be on earth right now if he hadn't made the decision to come after me.

Sam?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me but at the same time feeling bad that I had broken the silence. He glanced over at me and nodded for me to continue. "Why did you save me?" I asked him. "On the Grid, when you went to find your father's disk, why didn't you leave it at that? You could have gotten away with Flynn and you both could be here right now," I reiterated.

He looked over at me. "Because I wanted to, because I knew I needed to. That wouldn't be fair, you helped me on numerous occasions and I knew I had to return the favor," he told me. "And who knows what would have happened to you," he added. "I know I gave up a lot, but for some reason, I feel…like it was worth it, like I made the right decision," he went on.

"But your father, I thought you wanted him back," I said to him as I let my legs sway back and forth over the deep and murky water. "That is why you went to the Grid, right?" I asked.

"Not exactly, I didn't know what I would find there, Quorra. I was just curious about what this thing was and when I pressed a button…I was there," he told me. "And of course I wanted my dad back. It was great to know that I was right, that he was never dead, like everyone else thought," he murmured. "I can't argue with what he wanted though. I didn't know that the two of you had switched disks. He wanted you here more than anything else, even before himself getting back home," Sam sighed. "He knew this was going to happen and he wanted to save us," he said. "But having you here…I feel better. You have no idea how much you alone have changed my life around. I am happy," he said.

I smiled and looked into our two figures silhouetted in the rippling water. "I am happy too. I am glad that I am not alone," I whispered. "Being by myself used to scare me," I confessed as I looked down. He glanced over at me, his eyes questioning my statement with a soft touch to them. "During and after the Purge," I told him. "I always thought that someone was after me when I was alone and I would be in the same situation like when Flynn had found me. No one would help me any more as the purge went on. They knew that if one of CLU's programs found me with them that they would be derezzed as well," I went on. "I was alone and I didn't know what to do, all of my friends were gone and…" I trailed off as I felt the small lump in my throat. "I didn't belong anymore, I wasn't wanted. I was hated," I finished.

He wrapped and arm around me, pulling me closer to him. "Then that means that we both don't belong," he said with a small smile. "It is nice to know some that understands for once," he murmured.

I smiled even broader and nodded. "But if we both don't belong…that would mean that we do belong," I told him with a small laugh.

"I suppose you are right," he admitted as he let out a laugh of his own. We sat in silence for a little longer before Sam turned to me. "How did you know I was on the Grid games?" he asked curiously.

"The light, or I guess we can call it a star. That hadn't opened in so long, Sam and I just had a feeling," I told him. "We can't open the portal from the inside, it can only be opened if it is done on the outside, here one earth," I stated. "Of course I didn't know who it was but once I saw you I knew who you were," I put in. "You look a lot like your father, Sam Flynn."

Sam smiled and looked out at the lake. "Yea…" he mumbled. "I wonder what it would be like if none of this had happened," he rambled softly.

"The same as always for me," I started. "Flynn and I would still be waiting for CLU to make his move," I said. "I would have never been able to go on the best adventure of my existence. I would never had the chance to see what the sun really looks like," I stated in a softer voice. "I would have never me you," I added as I looked up at him.

Sam smiled. "Well, then it is a good thing that I decided to come," he murmured.

I nodded as I looked out over the lake, to the other bank that was across from us. "Thank you," I murmured.

"For?" he asked in confusion as he turned to look at me for a moment.

"For letting me stay with you," I said. "I know that I am inconveniencing you at times but…I appreciate that I am not on my own," I told him.

"I like your company," he told me. "It is nice to have someone to talk to, it is great having you around. And no, you don't inconvenience me," he said. "I have done more in the past five days with you than I have probably done in the past five years," he said with a laugh. "I didn't go out very much then, I didn't see much of a reason," he added. "But with you…the way that you perceive things in this world, I have a new understanding of everything. I appreciate everything more now," he said with a shrug.

Sam looked down at his watch then and sighed. "We must be going soon if we don't want to be late," he sighed.

I nodded and we both stood. I looked over at Sam and hugged him, leaning upwards slightly to kiss his cheek. The gesture felt natural now and I relished in the feeling before pulling away and then unwinding my arms around him. He smiled and reached his hand out to twine with mine as we walked off of the dock.

Marvin found us as we reached the top of the hill and Sam put his leash on as we walked out of the trees and back into the main portion of the park. We didn't pass the fountain this time, Sam took the shorter way home so we could get there quicker. When we got home, Sam let me give Marvin two dog treats as he went upstairs to change into his formal tuxedo.

I played with Marvin for a while until Sam came back down the stairs wearing the black suit. I went upstairs then to pick out a dress and change into it. I picked the white dress that had a faded light yellow color on the top for the chest and then was white all the way through with a design across the stomach and another design towards the end of the dress. The dress went a little above my knees and this dress did not have sleeves or straps for my shoulders. I put on the white shoe with the small heels on and then a necklace that we had bought. I grabbed the matching sweater and draped it over my shoulder and headed back downstairs.

Sam was talking on his cell phone when I walked into the main area. He turned and opened the garage door to reveal a silver car that was sitting in the small road. He hung up then and turned to face me. "You look great," he said with a bright smile as he neared me. "The car is for rent, so it is ours for a few days, and I suppose if I like it enough, it will be the one that we buy," he told me as he saw my eyes on the car. "Are you ready to go?" he asked me.

"Yes," I answered as we walked out of the home and Sam shut the garage door behind him. He opened the door for me and then closed it as I settled in, walking to the drivers side and getting in as well. "Where will we be going?" I asked him as he backed out the yard and drove off.

"We are going to an Italian restaurant, it's called Maggiano's. it is like the restaurant that I took you to the other day where you got the pasta. So you should be a little more familiar with the menu," he told me.

I nodded at him and smiled. I liked Italian food, I think that it was my favorite type of food.

The restaurant was not too far away and we got there in about fifteen minutes. Sam gave they keys to a man for something called valet parking. We walked inside and I instantly saw Alan and Lora. "Quorra," Lora said as she walked over to me and gave me a hug. "You look so nice," she murmured as she pulled away. I returned the favor and the four of us waited for the others.

I didn't know who they were looking for, what they looked like but it seemed as though Sam and Alan did. I knew when the two came in because Sam and Alan both straightened up and stood to welcome them. I watched in curiosity at the strangers and Sam beckoned me forward to introduce me. "And this is Quorra, Quorra this is Mr. Floyd" he said kindly.

"Quorra, what a lovely name," the man stated. "And please Sam, call me Ethan," the man said as he neared me and stuck out his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you." he said and instead of shaking my hand like I had expected he kissed the top of my hand. When he let go I shook hands with his wife and then glanced at Sam. He smiled in encouragement at me. Ethan made the same gesture towards Lora and I guessed that it was a cultural difference that I had not yet learned.

We were escorted to our table on the second level and Sam pulled out my chair for me. I noticed that Alan and Ethan did the same and I just shrugged it off. Was this what you did for a formal dinner? Sam sat beside me and across from Alan and Lora.

We ordered and then Sam, Alan, and Ethan launched into conversation. I could tell that it was a little tense but as the conversation grew and as Sam and Alan reassured, the man became a little lighter. I chatted a little bit with Lora and then Natalya started to talk with us.

It was very cool to hear someone that was not a native English speaker speak English. She had an accent that I liked when she talked. I thought it was rather interesting. I wondered how many languages there were in the world. I knew that there was a lot but how many? Over one hundred, I knew that much.

I wanted to learn a language, I had heard of French and Spanish, and I wanted to learn French very badly. Flynn had a few books in French and he could speak it rather well, although he didn't around me because I never understood it. He would translate some of the books for me so I would understand. I learned a few phrases but I wanted to learn more as always.

"How old are you, Quorra?" the lady asked me and I turned my head towards her. I saw Sam take a quick glance at me after she asked.

"Twenty-four," I told her with a smile. I wondered how old I actually was. I knew how old I was on the Grid but I hadn't calculated all of that together to find out how old I was in earth years.

"What a lovely young lady," she murmured as she took a sip of her wine. I had wine in front of me as well but was not drinking much of it. I still didn't like the taste very much. Also, I didn't like that I had gotten a headache the last time I drank the stuff.

"Thank you," I murmured with a smile.

The waiter came by with our main dishes and we started to eat as we continued to talk. I liked these two people, they seemed very nice but something about them made me think that they were faking a mask. I wondered why they had really com here. Sam said that they had come because of some problem concerning the leaked program.

Sam told me that he had done that intentionally. I didn't understand at first but after he explained that Flynn would never charge a softer like that I did. Sam was doing the right thing and now he was dealing with the consequences.

We finished dinner and we stood, ready to leave. Sam and Alan shook Ethan's hand and somehow they had made everything ok. "I look forward to hearing from you in the future, Sam Flynn," he said. I wished I had listened to some of their conversation now, I wondered how Sam had gotten him on his side like that. Well, I guess if you were prepared you could do it.

We all said our farewells and the two of them left ahead of us, leaving the four of us coming down the stairs last. Alan and Lora walked to their car as we waited for the man to get our car. "You did great, Quorra," Sam said as he turned to face me.

"Well, I had to, I couldn't mess this up for you," I told him with a smile.

"You wouldn't have, don't worry about that," he told me as he pulled a strand of hair behind my ear. The car came up to us then and the man stepped out of the car, handing Sam the keys. "Come on, Q, let's go home."

**_I hope that you guys loved this chapter! I think it was cute but I think that your opinions count the most so please review! You can even review me to tell me that you hate me for not updating but...anyways I LOVE to hear what you guys have to say!_**

**_AND since I am rushing this chapter out, I will do review shout outs for both chapter 7 and this one when I update next! (Don't worry, I didn't forget!)_**

**_See you guys soon and please REVIEW! Bye!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Thanks to all of you that reviewed chapter 7!_**

**_Charahftw, Silver War, Miss Taylor, Fujisawa Loser, Reckless Kelly, Kaikamahine Mai Hawai'i, Missbroadwayboundfanfic, Emper0rH0rde, Writergirl89, GottaLoveMEgan, Vicki22, leila, LifeInBlackAndWhite, Ronnie R15, ILovePie930. You guys are soo awesome!_**

**_Next, Thanks to all of you that reviewed chapter 8 as well!_**

**_EddieC135, Miss Taylor, Copperminted, Anonymous, joe bob billy bob, Fujisawa Loser, Emper0rH0rde, Missbroadwayboundfanfic, Charahftw, Dildog The Penguin Rapist, Writergirl89, and ILovePie930. Thanks so much everyone!_**

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Quorra POV

It was Monday and Sam said, unlike most people who work, that he didn't have to go in to ENCOM today, or any other Monday for that matter unless he was needed for something important. Sam seemed pleased that he didn't have to go in and I was glad too, he was tired and I knew that he needed the chance to really sleep in. I slept in with him today instead of going to watch the sunrise by the lake that reflected Los Angeles against it. There wouldn't have been a sunrise that I would have seen anyways because the day turned out to be cloudy and very rainy. Sam and I woke up around the same time, Sam waking up a little before me but his slight movements so close to me jostled my body awake. I awoke to Sam's arms around me, like almost every day, the gesture seemed normal now. I could feel his warm hands against the fabric of my shirt and flannel shorts and today I could even feel the warm skin of his hand against the smooth pale skin of the side of my stomach. It was slowly becoming a routine for us and I never tired of it and I knew that I never would. He made me feel safe, so secure, and always had me feeling like I would never be alone.

Sam got out of bed first, about half an hour after we had woken up. We talked for a while, both of our voices barely above a light murmur in the wind. He told me that we would be packing the rest of the things that would be moving with us into the new apartment and that the movers would come and pick it all up around six in the evening to go set it everything up for us. He said that we didn't have much to pack up, just a few books, some pictures, memoirs, clothing, Marvin's things, and a few other possessions that Sam put in the category of worthy. Sam went to get a shower as I continued to lie in bed, letting my ever so curious mind wonder away for a while.

My eyes moved around the room, noting the empty feeling that left me a little unsettled and the very few boxes that had a handful of objects in them. I turned to my right side as my eyes rested on the open door to the hallway. I could hear the now familiar jingling noise of Marvin's collar as he neared the bedroom. He jumped up onto the bed and sat down on the edge of it, his large brown eyes staring at me. "Hey, Marvin," I murmured as I smiled at the cute dog. He barked in response and walked over to me, walking over my legs and then my stomach to fixate himself so he was lying right by my side comfortably. He sniffed at my face and then licked my cheek before nuzzling his head below my head and a little under my neck. I laughed quietly and patted his soft fur.

Sam came out of the bathroom about ten minutes later wearing only those strange shorts that I learned were called boxers, a word that I had seen in the dictionary but found unnecessary and irrelevant for me to completely memorize. His hair was still damp from the shower and it clung to the sides of his head. I got up then and trudged over to my clothes and picked something out at random before going to take a shower as well, not paying Sam much attention as he dressed for the day.

The warm and smooth water ran across my body soothingly and I sighed at the contact. The water not only woke me up but also made me feel more relaxed and calm. My black short hair quickly grew slick across my forehead and the sides of my face, plastering itself to my soft skin. I shampooed my hair and used the body wash that had the amazing floral smells to them. The shampoo smelled like a mixture of fruit and flowers that I was not familiar with but still thought smelled amazing anyways. The body wash smelled like lavender, which I was now familiar with and was one of my favorite smells right now.

I turned off the shower when I finished and methodically dried off the water from my skin. I dressed easily and brushed through my hair and then brushed my teeth. I opened the door when I was finished to see that Sam was not in his room anymore. Marvin was gone too. I put on a pair of socks and then left the room and walked down the set of stairs.

Sam was sitting at the island table in the center of the open kitchen, reading a newspaper with coffee on his right side and a plate of untouched food on his left side. He set down the paper when he heard my arrival and smiled pleasantly at me. He motioned to the chair across from him as he stood and walked over to the counter where another plate and mug of coffee rested. "I hope you are in the mood for pancakes and eggs. I also made you some coffee," he said with a warm smile as he set the items in front of my chair. I walked over slowly and stood behind the chair, looking down at the plate of food. I knew what pancakes were even though I had never tasted them. They tasted like waffles from what I had heard and did not have that multiple square design on them. I didn't know what eggs were though, they looked very strange though. There were two on the plate, both of them white with some kind of pure yellow dome-like object in the middle.

"What are eggs? I have never seen this before," I murmured as I picked up the fork and poked at the yellow blob in the middle. The food was kind of sticky, not parting from the white part of the food easily. It stayed together, as a whole, except for when I dug the fork down the middle of one, splitting it in half.

I heard Sam's quiet laugh beside me and I looked up. "It is good; I think that you will find it appealing. I think they are pretty good," he said as he walked away and opened up the refrigerator to grab a long carton of something. He walked back over to me and opened it up. "This is an egg, and that on your plate is one of these after it has been cooked or fried," he told me as he picked up a small pure white almost circular object in his hand.

"So that thing, becomes this?" I asked in confusion, noting that the two looked absolutely nothing alike.

"Yes, you have to crack this though, and the yolk inside looks similar to that, you just cook it so it isn't raw," he informed me as I reached for the small white object in his hand. He handed it to me with a smile and I looked at it curiously. It was cold and the outer shell of this thing was hard and smooth. I could feel that there was something inside of it but the contents seemed to be very condensed when I shook it.

Before I knew what had happened though, the white object called an egg splattered all over my hand, spewing the thick and sticky contents over me. "Oh no, I broke it. I didn't mean to," I said in a higher voice as I stuck my hand as far away from me as possible and frowned. I hadn't meant to break it. Why did it do that?

"It's ok, you just broke it," he said with an amused laugh. "You probably shook it too hard or squeezed it and it broke. Don't worry about it though, it doesn't matter. There is nothing in there except that," he reassured me as he grabbed a wet towel and got the spilled egg off of my hand and off of the counter as well. He grabbed the shattered shell and threw it in the trash as he wiped down the island table with a dry towel. "Just try it and if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it," he promised me as he pulled the chair out for me and I sat down.

He walked over to where he was sitting earlier and took a sip of his coffee as he watched me pick up a piece of the food. I looked at it for a moment before sticking it in my mouth. I frowned and shook my head as the taste of this food hit my tongue. I did not like it, not at all. I did not like the taste or the fact that it was slimy and slowly slid down my throat. I swallowed it quickly and stuck my tongue out before taking a sip of my coffee. "No, that did not taste very good," I stated.

He smiled softly. "Looks like we have a bit of a picky eater on our hands," he murmured with a laugh as he took a bite of the eggs on his plate. "And I thought you were going to make this easy," he said. I could tell he was joking by the tone and look on his face so I just laughed with him briefly. "You can just eat the pancakes then if you want," he told me as he took another bite.

We finished breakfast in about fifteen minutes and together we cleaned up the kitchen and started the dishwasher. We set off to work then, starting to pack what Sam wanted packed before the movers got here.

We started downstairs, first packing up Marvin's things into two boxes and then moving on to the small bookshelf and entertainment center that Sam had. Before we closed up each box, Sam went to get a sheet of paper that had the objects typed up inside and where to place them in the new apartment. We wrote on the boxes, on the top, saying where the box was to go when it was unpacked and brought up to the suite. It didn't take long for us to end up in Sam's room, seeing as though we had only packed four boxes downstairs. We were now sitting on the floor of his bedroom with multiple types of possessions of his that we were packing. Most of them were books, picture frames, photos, while others were things that I didn't know of, a few of them catching my eye.

The object that drew my attention the most though was interesting. It was tall with about a foot or two wide body that had a long neck and six strings that were evenly spaced vertically on the neck. It was a wood color and had a brownish-red design on some parts of it. I had never seen anything like it before and it fascinated me. Before I could ask Sam what it was though, he interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, Quorra, can you pass me that photo album on your right?" Sam asked me. Sam was putting certain types of books in a box that rested to his right. They weren't ordinary books used for simply reading, they were like binders with flimsy clear pages in them that occasionally had a picture inside of it. Some of the books were labeled, either by year or an event that was particularly special to him. Some were larger than others, while others were almost pocket sized. I knew that the ones that Sam was putting in the box were important, I could tell by the almost serious set of his face. I picked up the book that Sam inquired for but before it reached his hands, I read the title. _Mom, Dad, and Me_. The words were large and each individual word had a different color to it. In the background was a drawing of three people. They were all stick people and the two people on the outside were tall and one of them had long, blond hair, while the other had short blond hair. The stick figure in the middle was a lot smaller and that was what made me realize what the picture was of. It was of Sam and his parents.

"Sam, did you draw this?" I asked him as I held the book in my right hand as I moved my left hand over the clear film that protected the drawing from water or anything else that may mess it up. I felt Sam near me and I turned my head to look at him after I realized that he was sitting close to my side. "Is this your family?" I asked him.

"Yea…" he murmured as he traced his thumb over the picture. "I drew it when I was seven, a few months before my mother died," he sighed. I remembered Flynn talking about Sam's mother, or his wife. He had so many stories to tell about her, she seemed like an amazing person. I couldn't ever imagine what it was like to truly lose someone that was close to me. Of course, during the Purge, my friends were lost but I never had family, someone to truly care about.

Until I met Flynn. He really was like family to me and I really cared about him. And then, cycles later, Flynn's son, Sam. I don't know what I would ever do if I lost him. Sam knew what that felt like though and I didn't know how to comfort him or even if I should do that. I settled for wrapping an arm around his shoulders so my hand rested on the top of the shoulder farthest from me. I leaned my head in a little so my head could rest against his shoulder. My fingers played at the binding and then moved towards the opening, brushing over the thick, laminated pages. "Can I see the pictures?" I asked softly as I shifted my head to look at his own face.

"Sure, why not," he murmured as he opened the photo book to the beginning page. There were two pictures of a little kid with the very similar but different brown hair and blue eyes. "That was you when you were little?" I asked him as I brushed my fingers over the two pictures with curiosity.

"Yes, when I was about a year and a half and in the second picture, two," he said distantly. My eyes landed on him again as he studied the pictures intently, like he was trying to bring something back, trying to remember something. I stayed silent, looking between the pictures of the young Sam and Sam sitting so close next to me. "My dad said that I looked more like my mother when I was younger," he went on as his fingers moved across the page as well, brushing with my own softly.

"How so? You look like Flynn to me. Maybe it is because I don't know what your mother looked like…" I sighed. "Do you look more like her than your father?" I prodded as I looked at the two pictures intently, trying to decipher my question by sight.

"Not as much anymore, but I guess you could say that it is a little less than half. She had blue eyes and blond hair too. My hair and eye color sides more with hers than with my dad's now," he said and then he turned the page swiftly. "That's what she looked like," he murmured. The picture that was on this page was of Sam, Flynn, and his mother. Sam still looked young and Flynn looked younger too, a little younger before I had really met him.

"Wow, she is really pretty," I murmured as I looked at the picture. They were all smiling; standing in front of a vast amount of water that seemed to stretch on for as far as the picture could let me view. "Sam, is that the ocean?" I asked as I pointed to the background.

He smiled peacefully. "Yea, that was when we had gone to Florida for a few weeks when I was four," he told me with a smile. "We are pretty close to it, I should probably take you some time soon," he said with a small chuckle.

"Oh, yes, Sam please?" I asked as I sat up straight to look at him with excitement. "That sounds like so much fun!"

"All right then, I guess we will just have to then," he said with a smile. I nodded eagerly and turned to the next page. This page was similar to the other two and Sam explained the setting of each of them. We turned through the book slowly, taking time to look at each individual picture, me watching in amazing as I saw Sam along with Flynn age as the book went on. There weren't a lot of pages in the photo book though and when we reached the last page, I saw Sam sigh.

He had gone from happy, showing me the pictures with pride and joy, to looking miserable. The smile on my own face slowly disappeared with his. I didn't like seeing him sad, it made me feel sad too. I liked to see him smile, hear him laugh, and have a good time. I knew that he missed them though, it was normal to miss someone that you cared about, right? Especially your own parents. Flynn had always gone on about how he felt so guilty for leaving his son here alone, right after his mother had died. He felt awful, I knew that part.

Flynn never thought that he would be able to see his son again. Sometimes he wished that he had never made the Grid or had not gone into it as often as he did. He wished that he could have taken that one fateful day back…but in reality…he couldn't. He knew that.

When Flynn saw his son standing in front of him, I knew that for once in a very long time that he was very truly happy. Not just the happiness that he received from having company, having someone to share the lonely life on the Grid with, but seeing his son, even for that one millicycle of time, made him happy again.

"Sam, he thought that he would never see you again," I whispered. "Even with the short amount of time with you on the Grid, he was glad for it," I tried as I shut the book and turned it to the cover.

"Yea but…" he trailed off and I waited patiently for his response. "I thought that…I mean, I was so damn close," he mumbled miserably. "I thought that I would be able to bring him back, so I could have a family again," he stated. "Or close enough."

"But it is what he wanted, Sam. Have you thought of it that way?" I prompted as I handed the book to Sam and he packed it away in the cardboard box that sat beside him.

"Yes, but I still wish that he had come home with us. That won't change, it never will. I will still feel like there was something more that I could have done to get him here. I will regret that," he said to me. I looked over at him to see a tear fall from his eye and roll down the curve of his face.

I hadn't seen him cry or tear up since I had met him. He was upset, really upset and I felt guilty for bringing it up in the first place. I brought my finger up to the stray tear and wiped it away softly. "It isn't your fault, Sam. You shouldn't feel regret for doing what your father asked of you," I soothed in a soft voice.

"How can you be ok with this?" he asked me in disbelief. His teary eyes had cleared to show the strong blue eyes that I was very used to. "You spent an even longer amount of time with him than I did. How can you not feel regret or anything?" he questioned with a frown.

I sighed deeply. "I have to be ok with it, Sam; it is what he wanted to happen. And yes, I miss him dearly and I wish that he could be here with us just as much as you do but…I know that there was nothing that I could do that would change his mind. He was protecting you, Sam. He didn't want you to be trapped in the Grid for the rest of your life like he spent twenty of his years. He didn't want you to live like that and he didn't want you to resent him if that were to happen," I murmured knowingly.

He didn't answer me; he just shook his head in response. I took that as maybe my answer had satisfied him to a certain degree. I could see from the look on his face that he didn't want to talk about it anymore, the tiredness set along the top of his face. I accepted that though, knowing that when he really wanted to talk about it he would.

I looked at the necklace that was dangling around his neck. I had asked him briefly what it was a few days ago to be surprised and amazed that it was the Grid. I couldn't believe that the small chip that was attached to the chain on his neck used to be where I lived. Actually, I still couldn't believe it, it was so strange that I came from something that seemed so large and open but in reality was just a small little computer chip. I took the chip between my two fingers, feeling the smooth but defined little grooves in the small device. "I still can't believe this was the Grid, that I was created from this little thing. It is unbelievable but at the same time so spectacular," I murmured in a soft breath.

He smiled down at me and then moved his eyes to the chip on the necklace. "Nothing is ever what it seems to be, I suppose. That goes for a lot of things. It is amazing how the Grid turned out to be this," he agreed with a small but emotionless laugh, probably trying to lighten the mood but failing miserably.

"Do you think we will ever get him back?" I asked him softly after a long minute of silence that dragged on between the two of us. "I mean, do you think that there is a chance that we could find him and bring him home?" I reiterated as I looked up at him.

I wished that I could have taken back the question because I started to see tears welling up in his eyes again. I didn't mean to make him upset. As I noticed the wetness in his eyes, I felt my own eyes sting and start to water. "I don't think that we will be able to get him back, Q," he stated slowly but in a voice that I almost had to strain my ears to hear. "I think, even though I really wish it weren't true, that he is really gone this time," he mumbled in a stoic tone.

"But Sam, there has to be a way! He has to be still out there. You can't just disappear like that! Like the programs, they could always reboot or become recreated; it was like a never-ending circle. Remember what Flynn had said about how making the programs were impossible but recreating existing ones was?" I asked him. "The same rule has to apply to him, right? I mean he is a user, or human, I mean," I corrected myself. It was strange to be amongst so many humans and to actually be classified as one. I felt human, and now, I looked a lot more human than I probably was. It was a nice change. "There has to be a way," I murmured and started to trail off as I found myself trying to reassure myself now along with Sam.

There was a large chance that he wasn't alive though, I knew that much and I knew that Sam knew this too. But still, we didn't know for sure, Flynn could still very much be there, alive.

"Quorra…I don't think it's going to happen," he said miserably as he started to pack up other books into the cardboard box. I helped him in silence, passing him what he wanted, when he wanted them, while I thought everything through.

My mind started to wonder away from the ways that Flynn could come back to family. A question formed in my head and I was immediately eager to ask it. "Sam? What is it like to have a family?" I asked him as I handed him one last scrapbook and then turned to face him again.

His eyes furrowed in confusion as he looked at me. "What do you mean?" he asked me.

"I mean, family, like, what is it like to be loved by someone else? In books that I read, it showed that a family shared a unique bond and loved one another dearly," I said. "What is it like? I have never had a family, so I don't know what it is like to have someone care for you so."

A serene smile slowed upturned onto his face. "It's great, at times; I guess it could be a real pain in the ass but most of the time, my family got along. I didn't have any siblings, so my parents only had to worry about me, so I guess I had it easy most of the time," he said with a small grin. "Every weekend, me and dad, would go to the arcade and play a game. He would always say 'Same team, man' when we played. Just one game would go on for hours because we were so good at it. The two of us together held the top seven scored with the consoles. I guess I know why now, he really was the master at that game," Sam said with a chuckle. "My family was always close and after mom died, my dad and I became especially close, since I guess it was just as now," he told me.

I smiled, remembering Flynn telling me similar stories about his only son. "I guess you could say that Flynn was the closest family that I had," I murmured. After so many years with the creator, it was hard for a bond not to form.

Sam smiled at my statement but then pouted slightly. "Don't I count as family too?" he asked with a grin, feigning hurt.

I laughed lightly and then laughed again, never tiring of the feeling of real laughter. "Yes…I suppose you are too," I said with a nod of my head. "Family," I murmured as I let the word roll off of my tongue.

My eyes met with Sam's then and I could see that he was gazing at me differently. That same stare that seemed to send shivers up and down my spine, just like now. The feeling or maybe the way that he looked at me, made me nervous. Not a scared kind of nervous, it was hard to explain but a good kind of nervous, I think.

Sam looked like he was debating something in his mind for a brief moment before moving closer to me, each change in position hesitant as if he was waiting for me to speak up or act against it. I didn't know what about though; I just sat there in confusion as he scooted closer to me.

His next movement caught me by surprise. His right hand moved to rest against my cheek and his face was mere inches from mine. I felt my heartbeat start to race as his warm hand sent sparks shooting throughout me. He didn't proceed for a minute though; he just looked at me, with large blue eyes with a hint of something in them. He looked undecided, like he was doing something wrong.

I watched him curiously as he finally came out of his state and looked at me before nearing his head towards mine.

In the next moment his lips were on mine, just like that night on the dock by the lake, except this…kiss felt more normal to me than before. I didn't know what to do though. Was I supposed to kiss him back now? Or was I supposed to pull away from him and say something?

My body screamed in resistance to the second option and I threw it away quickly. I realized that I wanted this, more than anything that I have ever wanted before. I quickly flipped through my head and remembered what Sam had instructed me to do the night on the dock; he had told me to follow his movements.

I slowly started to follow the movements of his lips and I worked my arms around his neck like I had that night. It felt normal, and if it wasn't right, Sam would tell me, right? My eyes fluttered shut in the next moment and an unfamiliar noise came from within me. I didn't know what it was or how to explain it but Sam seemed to react to it in a positive way. I hoped that meant that I was doing this right…

Sam's arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me forward with his hands on my lower back, never breaking the contact of our lips as he did this. This put me in his lap and I shifted slightly so I was more comfortable. I felt his arms tighten around me, pulling me closer and sending strong waves of heat that burned through the core of my body.

Sam never broke the contact of our lips so neither did I but after some time, I didn't know how long, I realized that I needed air that I was not getting. I tried to hold out for as long as possible because I was now starting to enjoy every moment of this. The way that he kissed me made my body go into overload and I didn't want it to stop.

I finally broke the kiss and took in a sharp breath of air, letting my head rest against Sam's as I tried to catch my breath. I could hear Sam's breathing slightly elevated as well. I could feel his warm breath against my cheek as he breathed very closely to me. His warm breath tickled my face and cause small shivers to erupt down my spine.

After I caught my breath and Sam had to, I brought my gaze up to his face to see that he was looking down at me. "Sam, what was that?" I asked as I found that my breath was still a little shaky.

A warm smile broke past his lips and he ran his fingers through my short black hair before kissing me again, except this kiss was short…and sweet, so quick that I hadn't seen it coming and didn't even have time to respond to it.. I felt a warm sensation run across my cheeks and remembered that it was a blush. "Beautiful," he whispered and he laughed softly as my blush reddened a degree…

I was so unsure about everything and when he spoke in riddles like this, I didn't understand even more. I knew one thing though, that I _was_ sure that I liked those sensations and I wanted more of it. "I don't know, Sam," I whispered desperately as I pulled my head away from his and rested it against his shoulder...

"What are you feeling?" he asked me gently, hopefully. He waited in silence for my answer. I slowly steadied my head, counting the intakes of breaths that he made to calm my fluttering heart and slow my ever racing mind.

It felt so good, so amazingly spectacular that I could barely think straight. I knew that I liked the feeling and for some reason, I got the feeling that Sam did as well. "It feels right," I supplied in a shaky voice, not knowing if the answer satisfied him. I barely knew what I was answering in the first place.

"Good," he answered back. "Because it is right," he stated confidently as he took my hands in his. I gasped slightly at the warmth and the meaning in his words and moved my head so I could look at him again.

"But…I" I didn't know what to say, so I trailed off. I didn't know what to do but I knew I had to try. Something deep inside me screamed for me to not pass this up, whatever it was. I tried to respond to him again but I fell short of words but Sam seemed to understand me.

He knew what I meant, like he could read me like an open book. "Do you want to try?" he asked me. "We will take it slow, at your pace. I know you are new at this and don't fully understand everything but…I will guide you through it all," he said. "Every step, every turn, I am there with you because I am learning too. I promise I won't let you down," he continued as he stroked his thumb across my cheek, causing warmth to spread throughout me once again.

I realized then that I knew what he was asking. Was this what I wanted? Was this what I had been wanting since I had met him and really gotten to know him? Was I ready for this?

And for once, I knew that I was.

"I'd really like that, Sam Flynn."

**_O...M...G...? Did you like it? Love it? Did it blow your mind away? (I hope it did lol) Or ehh, hate it? I think it was the prefect time for that but...will we be seeign more of this in the near future? Well, only i know and you will only know if i can get a lot of reviews! The faster that i get 10 reviews for this chapter I will update! :) See you guys soon and REVIEW PLZ_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_Hey, everyone! So, here is yet another chapter. Don't expect too much from the chapter though, it is just a filler chapter to delay time for a few. I put in a few cute things but nothing huge so...I hope you like it?_**

**_AND! I want to say thanks to everyone that has reviewed this story! I have reached 120+ reviews for this story and over 10,000 hits! So thanks!_**

**_ENJOY GUYS!_**

Chapter 10

Sam POV

"Sam? What are you doing?" Quorra's voice squeaked out as I placed the blindfold around her eyes and quickly but gently tied it into place. I laughed softly as her hands flew up to her head to feel what was blocking her vision. She messed with the knot for a moment before I pulled her hands away softly. It seemed as though Quorra was not one for surprises but I still like surprising her. It was nice to know that something frustrated her finally and I thought that the way her face was shaped was adorable and quite hysterical. "You said that you had a surprise for me, not to cover my eyes with whatever this is," she grumbled as she finally got the hint that I wanted her to stop moving around for a moment.

"It is a blindfold, and I want you to get the full affect when we arrive. We have put a lot of time and effort into this to surprise you, so suck it up," I teased her with another laugh as I guided her into the elevator and once it closed, hit the button for level six. It was Wednesday, which meant that we were moving into our new apartment today. I had cleared the day with Alan at ENCOM so we could get everything situated. Alan had helped me with almost everything with the apartment, layouts, furniture, room designs, practically everything. He had taken yesterday off at ENCOM so he and Lora could spend most of the day here, doing things for me.

"What is it? The surprise I mean," she asked me, pulling me out of my reverie. She was tugging on my shirt sleeve with her hand while her other arm was loosely around my shoulder for support. The elevator made a ringing noise as it came to a stop at the top floor and I guided Quorra through the hallway, towards a door at the end. "I am not liking this surprise game very much, you aren't playing very fair," she said to me finally when I gave her no response. "I wouldn't keep a surprise from you, Sam, that's not fair," she grumbled.

"That is the point of a surprise, Quorra, the person is supposed to be surprised when it happens, you aren't supposed to tell that person because it would spoil the surprise," I told her with a laugh. I stopped her as I reached the door, reaching into my pocket for one of the key cards to the suite. I slid it through and waited for the light to flicker green before opening the door. I ushered Quorra inside and shut the door behind the two of us. "Ok, just a few more seconds and the blindfold comes off, ok?" I asked and she nodded in response as I walked her a few more feet so we were standing in front of the living room now. "Ok, one…two…three," I murmured and then tugged the blindfold from around her head easily, letting the fabric fall to the ground.

She looked around her then, trying to take in everything at once, something that I learned that she enjoyed to do very much. I guess you could do that if you learned and comprehended at her speed. "Wow…Sam, this is so cool," she said as she looked around but stopped as she spotted a large tank that was embedded into the wall. Sam and I had spent hours working on the fish tank. We had searched for the fish that she said that she had liked and then got a few others and two turtles to go into the large tank. "A fish tank!" she squealed as she walked over to it and pressed her hands and face to the glass. I slowly walked over to her side, amused at how she was fascinated by such simple things. She started to rattle off the types of fish out loud and tried to name some of them. I smiled brightly as I saw the large smile on her face; she was like a little kid on Christmas.

"But wait, there is more," I told her as I took her hand and pulled her towards a room with a door that was closed. "This is your room now," I told her as I opened the door and stepped inside after her. She walked in a little ways and looked around her.

The first thing she noticed was the bookshelf filled with books that Alan and I had collected. "Jules Verne?" she asked happily as she hurried over to the shelf that had about fourteen of his written novels on it. Alan and I had also gotten a few Shakespearean novels and then some books from today's times that were particularly popular. "How did you get these, Sam?" she asked me with a large smile as she picked up one of the books and clutched it in her arms.

Alan and I called around for some of them, but a few were actually in book stores. I think those will be enough for you to read until a few of the others come in. Alan has read a few of them and he told me to tell you that they were very good," I told her as she slowly put the book back in its place. She looked at another fish tank that was in her room, this one was smaller though and only had a dozen fish in it. There were fewer breeds of them but it still seemed to amuse her.

"Wow, I get a fish tank in my room?" she asked me and I answered her with a smile and nod. She continued to look around and I did the same. There was a small desk on the left side of the room that had a laptop on the top and a book light standing beside it. "Sam, what is this?" she asked and I looked over at what she was looking at. There was a door on the other side of her room. It opened up to the deck from what she could see and by the look on her face, she really liked that idea. That was the main reason why Alan and I had purchased this room, because whether it was sunrise or sunset, you could always see it from on the deck.

"It's the deck, so now you can get up whenever you want to and watch the sunrise, or if you want to, even watch the sunset," I told her with a smile as she opened the door and walked out on the deck. The railing was a very thick glass and on the deck was a small table with two chairs sitting beside it. The door on the other side of the deck led to my room and then the sliding door behind us led to the living room.

"Wow," she murmured happily but then she turned to look at me. "Did you do all of this for me, Sam Flynn?" she asked with a quizzical glance. "You should know that you didn't have to, you don't have to go out of your way for me," she started but I cut her off.

"I wanted you to be comfortable and happy. I wanted to surprise you," I told her with a grin. She threw her arms around me then in a hug, burying her head into my chest. I smiled softly and wrapped my arms around her torso, resting my hands on her lower back.

"I appreciate everything that you are doing for me, Sam, but you really shouldn't have," she murmured softly. "I would be happy no matter what and you have made me beyond comfortable ever since I have been here," she told me as she turned her head up to look at me.

"Then I am glad to hear it," I told her with a grin and she giggled softly. I leaned downward and brushed my lips against hers in a quick and soft kiss. She seemed to brighten even more after that and I smiled fondly. I could get used to this. Hell, I probably already have. She seemed to enjoy the physical gesture as well, letting me know that I hopefully wasn't making her uneasy about this. I loved how her face would light up when I kissed her, no matter how simple the kiss or the fact that we had only been more frequent with things for two days. She seemed to understand.

The bright smile that was planted on her face didn't last for too long though, after a few moments it started to fade away into a facial expression that showed confusion. She looked up at me with her wide blue questioning eyes and pursed her lips slightly.

"So…when do we do this?" she asked me and then it was my turn to look confused when I had no idea what she meant. "Like, when…am I supposed to know that you are going to kiss me?" she asked and I started to laugh quietly. She frowned at me though and I slowly silenced myself. "Or…when am I supposed to do that? Or…am I supposed to ever start a kiss ever?" she asked. I laughed internally at her question, I had no idea that she was ever blunt about anything...or maybe she really didn't understand everything about this yet.

"It doesn't exactly go like that," I told her gently as I ran my fingers through my blonde hair. "It can be whenever, I guess. Whenever the time is right, I can or you can," I started but then I shrugged at my statement. "I have never had to explain this either. I don't think I know how to explain that so you will understand," I said as I thought for a moment. "It can be spontaneous as well, I suppose, but…I have never had to put much though into it," I murmured.

She sighed and I watched as another frown formed across her delicate forehead. "I looked it up on the computer yesterday while we were at ENCOM and all it did was confuse me. There were too many different answers for me to comprehend," she told me. "And I want to try and get this right, I mean, I don't want to mess it all up," she said to me with a worried gaze. "I mean, I…" she paused again as she seemed to gather her scattered thoughts. "Do I just not understand it right? Or am I putting too much thought into it? I'm sorry, this is totally new for me, I never even thought…" she trailed off again and looked back at me.

I shook my head at her. "It doesn't work like that. You can't learn…how to…love by being taught…especially from something that you read online. It is different for everyone as an individual," I told her. "You teach yourself, in time, and then it will all fit, ok? And don't worry, you are fine," I added with a small smile as my arms encircled her waist, squeezing her gently.

"But-"

"No buts," I said with a chuckle. Deep down, my devotion for this ISO practically doubled as she confessed to how much she was trying. She didn't realize that no matter what she did, I wouldn't let her go. I had never felt a bond this strong with someone before, it almost felt unreal. I actually started caring about things now, wanting to do everything right and doing as much as I could. I knew that I had responsibilities now, and even though Quorra was one of them, she eased the stress that I would normally get. She was perfect and even though I had only known her for only a week, she was practically my drug.

Quorra nodded in response and looked up at me with a large smile. "Ok," she murmured and then she stood on her toes slightly to press her lips to mine. I couldn't help but smile as my lips fell into place with her parted ones. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled up at me. "Like that? Or no?" she told with a small grin and a giggle before unwinding herself from around me.

I chuckled and shrugged. "Yes, simple right?" I said and when she nodded slightly my smile widened. I didn't mind that at all, I really liked it actually. I took her hand gently, twining it with mine. "So are you ready for the rest of the tour?" I asked her and she nodded eagerly. I opened up the sliding door that led to the living room and den and then walked over to the other shut door. "And this is my room," I told her as I stood in the doorway. She stood beside me and when I looked down at her I could see that she was thinking about something. She didn't look particularly happy either.

I wished that I hadn't decided to get her a separate bedroom but I knew I needed to. I liked sleeping with her, I did. I liked waking up in the morning to see her body huddled so close to mine. I loved how peaceful she looked when she slept, how content she was. But I knew that the situation was not good for me, that in reality, I needed to do the right things for her not, what I wanted. She was so innocent and I didn't want to do the wrong thing so I knew that it was for the best, for now anyways. I didn't want to turn her away from me because of something that I did.

I shut the door back to my room and turned to Quorra. "So, what do you think?" I asked her with a smile.

"It is great, and we will be living here now, like, for good?" she asked me with a strange face.

I nodded anyway. "Yes, unless we decide to move somewhere else, but that won't be for a long while, I would guess. Don't worry, you will like it here. We are closer to the park and the lake and there are a lot of things that we can do that's around here, practically anything you want to do," I said to her.

She nodded and smiled again. "So this is normal then, to relocate?" she went on as she looked around the new apartment. "Like…people move a lot, not just stay in one place?"

"Yes, it is normal, it probably isn't done very often for most people but yes," I informed her. She walked back over to the fish tank, gazing at the fish that swam in inside. I was bewildered by the way that she was so amused with those tiny fish. "Do you want to feed them?" I asked her with a grin as I walked to her side again. I picked up the plastic can with the fish food in it and handed it in her direction. "They probably need to be fed, I am not sure if Alan fed them or not yesterday."

She nodded eagerly and took the fish food from my hand. "Oh, yes please. How much do I give them, or does it not matter?" she asked me as she opened the lid after realizing how the safety lock opened to it.

"Five or six pinches of fish food should do the trick," I told her as I reached my fingers into the can and showed her what a pinch was. She nodded and did the same as I opened a part of the lid and dropping in the fish food. Quorra copied my movements and then we both repeated the action two more times. She watched on with wide eyes as the fish went to the surface and ate the food one piece by one.

"It looks like they are sucking the food in," she observed with a smile. "And look at the bubbles that some of them leave behind, that is funny," she said with a laugh. "Do we feed them every day?" she asked.

"Yes and the same rule applies for the smaller fish tank in your room. It is ok if you miss a day every once in a while but it would be best to feed them every day," I said. "The turtles have food in there so we will only have to worry about filling up every three or four days," I added as I saw her eyes float up to the two turtles on the ledge.

I put the lid back over the fish food container and then placed it on the shelf. My phone started to ring then, causing both of us to jump slightly. I picked my phone out of my pocket and answered it when I saw that it was Alan. "Hello Alan," I murmured as I pulled away slightly from the phone to check the time. It was almost five which meant Alan was probably off by now. He and Lora had offered to keep Marvin last night so it would be easier for the two of us to move in. They were going to drop him off after he got off of work and we had made brief plans for dinner.

"Hey, Sam. I just got off and I am going home for a few to pick up Lora and Marvin. I hope you don't mind but Lora made reservations for us at Savory for 6:30," he told me.

"Yea, that is fine. We didn't have anything in mind anyways," I told him with a smile as I watched Quorra move to sit on a tall cushioned stool at the bar table near the kitchen.

"Give us about twenty minutes and we will be over, is that ok with you, kiddo?" he asked me.

"Sure, Alan," I answered. "We will see you then," I told him before I hung up the phone and replaced it in my pocket. I walked over to the bar table and then leaned up against it. "They will be over soon and then we will go out to dinner in an hour or so, are you ok with that?" I asked her.

She nodded and looked out towards the deck. "Where will we be going?" she asked me.

"A place called Savory. It isn't too far away and it is really nice and has a lot of different cultured foods there. There is something for everyone," I answered as she turned her head back to me. "And if we have some time afterwards, we can go to that Italian ice sop if you want," I added with a smile.

"Yes, that sounds nice, I want to watch a movie tonight too," she said eagerly as she jumped up and down in her seat briefly. "I want to see the one that we almost picked out the other day, the one with the people that would turn blue and looked like they weren't human," she told me and I couldn't help but laugh at her description. "I think you had said that the movie was good," she rambled softly.

"Yes, Avatar, we can watch it when we get back, promise," I told her. "But anyways, we probably should get ready, I need to go change anyways," I went on. "By the way, I don't think I mentioned this but you have clothes set up in the closet in your room now. You also have two bags that need to be unpacked on your bed. I should probably unpack my stuff too," I said and she nodded in comprehension before hopping off of her stool and then walking towards her room.

I went to my room and took out the two bags that were in the corner of the room, starting to unpack some of the clothes that were in them and putting them into the drawers of the dresser. Once I finished, I walked into the walk in closet and picked out a little more of a formal outfit for going out to dinner. I quickly dressed into a pair of khaki pants and a dress shirt that I really liked. I buttoned up the shirt as I walked out of the closet and blindly combed through my hair quickly before putting on a pair of shoes. I picked up the two bags and placed them in the back of the closet as I heard a knock on the door to the apartment.

I finished storing the bags away and then walked out of my room, shutting the door softly behind me and then walking over to the door. I smiled as I could hear the familiar jingling noise of my dog's collar on the other side of the door. I opened the door to see Lora and Alan standing there with bright smiles as Marvin sat, attached to his leash. Once the door was fully opened, he scampered inside, with Alan and Lora following behind him.

"Sam, how are you?" Lora asked as Alan took the leash off of Marvin's collar, letting my dog free of the restraint. Lora wrapped me in a large hug, pulling away after a few seconds and then walking into the main part of the apartment. "How do you like it?" she added.

"Great and it is awesome, thank you so much for helping me out, you have no idea how much easier you made this for me," I admitted with a small smile.

"Oh, hush, you know that we would help you no matter what and it was a fun project to work on," she said to me. "Is Quorra adjusting? I hope she likes it. Where is she?" Lora asked, finally realizing that Quorra wasn't in sight.

"She is getting ready, and she loves it, especially the fish tanks and the deck. You guys didn't go wrong with that," I stated.

"That is great, we knew that she would," Alan put in with a laugh. Marvin was jumping on my legs and I bent down to pet him.

"I hope that Marvin was good," I said as I continued to pet him. His tail was wagging and he barked twice before licking my face. I laughed softly and wiped away the trail of dog slobber that he left on my face as I stood.

"He was great, such a good dog, so trained," Alan responded as he took a seat at the bar table. Lora copied his movements as I shuffled through the drawers to find where Marvin's dog treats were. Finally after five cabinets I found his stuff and took out a dog treat. Marvin seemed to hear me shuffling through the box and he pranced over and sat next to me. I gave him a treat and then patted his head once more before standing and looking at the time.

What was taking Quorra so long? I contemplated on going to check on her because I knew that she never took this long to get ready. Maybe she did, it's not like I was ever counting…but still. I sighed and excused myself for a moment as I walked over to the cracked door to her room. I knocked twice. "Quorra, you in here?" I asked as my hand reached for the doorknob.

"Yes, Sam, right here," she answered and I opened the door to find her standing in front of the fish tank with the small plastic container of fish food in her hand. I walked in as she turned to look at me with her large electric blue eyes. "I was feeding the fish because I didn't feed them," she told me as she screwed the lid back on and set it on the shelf.

"Are you ready to go? Alan and Lora are waiting for us," I told her. She nodded and ran back in to her closet to grab a pair of sandals with a small heel on them. She quickly put them on and grabbed a jacket. She was wearing blue skinny jeans that seemed to hug her hips and make the curves on her petite body stand out more. She was wearing a black blouse that had a neckline that dipped into a small V and had a white design on it. I finally pulled my eyes away from her and planted them on something else while I composed myself. "Just- are you ready to go now?" I asked, my voice sounding unintentionally gruffer.

"Yes, what's wrong?" she asked me and after a moment I looked over at her again. God, why did she have to be so perfect yet so innocent? I just smiled at her, pushing everything away and beckoning towards the door.

"Oh, nothing is wrong," I told her with a smile and she nodded before walking out with me behind her. "Alright, are we ready?" I asked as they looked over towards us from where they sat. They both nodded and stood from the bar stools. "Alright, buddy we will be back later," I said to Marvin as he scampered over to where Quorra stood beside me.

We left the apartment quickly and rode the elevator down to the main level. We took our own cars since we didn't know how long we would be at the restaurant for. I drove with Quorra in the passenger seat, her eyes glued to the window as she watched everything pass by. It didn't take us very long to get there, about ten minutes. I parked and we both got out of the car and walked to the front doors where Alan and Lora stood, waiting. We walked inside as a group and were greeted by a lady behind a podium. Alan told him their last name that Lora had reserved the table under and the lady smiled at us before grabbing four menus and leading us back.

She showed us our table and then said that someone would be here shortly to get our orders. I gestured for Quorra to go into the booth first and I sat on the outside. We all opened up our menus and after a minute, Quorra turned to look at me. "Sam, what is caviar?" she asked me. "Did they explain it right because that doesn't sound very appealing for one to eat," she murmured as she pointed to what she was looking at on her menu.

"No, that is right, and I would guess that it depends on the person. I don't like caviar very much but that is just me. Some people find it very appetizing," I told her and I chuckled when she scrunched up her nose/

I picked out what I wanted pretty quickly but when I looked over at Quorra, she was still looking through her menu. She looked up at me after a moment and pouted. "I don't know what I want, will you pick something for me?" she asked and I heard Lora and Alan laugh in amusement.

"Has she tried much fish yet? They have good fish here or maybe some kind of Italian food?" Lora quipped in with a smile towards us. She rested her finger on a choice on Quorra's menu. "I think that crab is good, have you ever tried that?" she asked Quorra.

Quorra's small frown seemed to answer Lora's question though and I smiled. "Do you want to try that? You don't have to if you don't want to," I put in as I looked over at her.

She nodded. "I will try it," she said in a small voice as she ran her fingers through her short black hair. Alan and Lora picked out what they wanted and then closed the menus.

Alan looked over at me with an amused smile. "I hope you are ready for tomorrow, you know that you have to be at work early right?" he asked me with a grin. Alan had informed me on Tuesday that the head people of ENCOM in New York were here. There was a meeting that I had to attend tomorrow morning that I knew was going to be boring but also knew I couldn't get out of…so why wait?

I barely knew why they were here but Alan had briefed my on what I needed to know for tomorrow. "Yea, I guess, and yes, I have my alarm set," I told him.

"That is good, will Quorra be coming with you tomorrow?" he went on as he moved his gaze to look at her with fond eyes.

Quorra looked up then and I watched as her face fell. "I can't come with you tomorrow, why?" she asked with a hurt voice.

"No, you can, he meant, will you actually want to come?" I stated. "Tomorrow will be really boring," I said with a frown.

"Yes, I wanted to come with you," she answered with a smile. "I like going, I get to meet new users…I mean people," she corrected with a small grimace. Alan laughed quietly but our conversation cut off when the waiter came to our table.

"Welcome to Savory, how are all of you today?" he asked and we all answered along the lines of good or a head nod. "What would you like to drink?" he asked us.

I spoke up first. "A pink lemonade for her and I would like a coke," I said with a smile.

"And we would both like iced teas," Alan said softly. The waiter asked what we wanted to eat and we all went around and told him, except I had ordered for Quorra. Once the waiter left with our menus we continued to talk.

Quorra picked up the glass salt shaker in the middle of the table and started to toy with it. It was very amusing to just sit and watch her as she did things. It was amazing how she seemed to take everything into consideration and always thinking. It was cute really She was so focused on that one thing too, like she was trying to learn as much as she could.

The man came back with our drinks as Alan spoke up. "Two more books came in the mail today; they were shipped from North Carolina. We were hoping that they would have been here sooner but we did the best we could," he said as he looked over towards Quorra again. "Some Jules Verne books are quite hard to find in good condition," he said.

She smiled widely then. "I saw the bookshelf and thank you so much! I can' wait to start reading them all. I didn't know that there were so many books that he had made," she said.

"Yes, I was surprised as well, I may borrow one some time and read it, but some of them are awfully long so I probably wouldn't finish in a while," Alan said with a chuckle. "By the way, Sam informed me that you read really fast. He said that you read the entire dictionary within your first three days here. That is spectacular, how do you do it?" he asked her in amazement.

"I don't know," she pondered. "Flynn said that I was always fast at reading and learning. He said that it was because of me being what I am. He said that we used a great deal more of our brains than humans," she murmured with a shrug.

"Outstanding," her murmured. "I wonder how that would go over in college," he said quietly with a laugh.

I smiled as Quorra frowned. "College…? Like…universities?" she asked with confusion written on her face.

"Yes," Lora answered. "I am pretty sure that Kevin has told you stories of that, hasn't he?" she said with an amused face.

Quorra nodded. "He has, a lot of stories really. College sounds like fun, and a way to widen ones horizon," she went on. "I would like to go to see what it is like," she said as she turned her head to me. "Can we go?" she asked me eagerly.

"Hmm, I don't see why not, you could take a class that you are interested in maybe. It wouldn't hurt if I went back and tried to finish my studies as well," I said with a shrug.

That made Quorra's face light up. "Oh, really? That would be so much fun!" she exclaimed happily.

The waiter came with our dishes then and we started to eat. Quorra ended up liking the crab, she said that it tasted sort of like the shrimp that we had when we were at Alan's apartment last week. She didn't eat all of it though, like usual; she never seemed to eat much. I wondered briefly if I should be more worried about that then I was but decided to brush it off since she wasn't complaining that she wasn't feeling well.

We all left the restaurant a little before eight and we went our separate ways to go home after Alan and Lora had given us the two books that they had in the car. Quorra and I decided not to go out because she wanted to watch Avatar still and I knew that if we weren't home soon we wouldn't be watching it.

When we got back to our apartment, we were welcomed by Marvin. Quorra went to go change into pajamas as I found and then bought the movie for us to watch. I made popcorn and put it in a bowl and then brought it back to the den and took a seat on the leather couch. Quorra came out a minute later carrying a blanket with her. She took a seat right next to me and smiled. "Ok, I am ready," she murmured as she leaned her head against my shoulder.

I had seen this movie already but I thought it was one of those movies that were still pretty good after watching a few times. I thought it was still good and since it had been a while, I had forgotten some things in the movie.

Quorra watched on eagerly for the first hour but then I noticed that her eyes were starting to droop and she was leaning more into me. Within the last thirty minutes, she had fallen asleep. I was going to wake her back up so she could see the rest of the movie but I decided against it because it was almost midnight and we had to wake up early.

I gently maneuvered from next to her and then slowly but easily picked her up, carrying her quietly to her room. She was still as light as can be. I had a little trouble with getting the sheets undone and holding her at the same time but soon I had her in bed with the covers over her frame. I fixed the covers so she was tucked in and then I turned off her closet light and bedside lamp.

I looked down at her sleeping form and smiled. She looked so peaceful when she slept, so adorable. I took my chances of waking her and bent slightly to kiss her forehead gently and then the soft skin of her temple. As I pulled away I could have sworn that I saw a smile cross over her perfect lips. She exhaled a breathy sigh that whispered past her lips, skimming across my left cheek.

I left the room quietly and shut the door behind me. I turned the TV and lights off in the kitchen and den and then went into my room. I undressed until I was just in a pair of boxers and crawled into bed.

I felt like something was wrong though, like something was missing. I didn't like the feeling of how empty the bed felt, it didn't feel right. I missed having Quorra sleeping so close to me. I hadn't realized how used I had gotten with sleeping with the ISO until now. It felt different and I felt out of place without the woman by my side.

I sighed though and tried to brush the feeling off as I slowly drifted off to sleep…

Something jostled my body and startled me awake. "Sam," I heard Quorra's familiar but sleepy voice murmur. I thought that I was hearing things until I heard her voice again. "Sam?" she asked, uncertainty filling her voice. I looked around for a moment for the digital clock in the new room, trying to find out what time it was. Once I found the clock, I saw that it was 3:37 in the morning. What was she doing up so early? I wondered if she had had another bad dream.

I turned to her voice in the darkness and reached for the bedside lamp, turning it on and squinting at the light that filled my tired eyes. "What is it, Quorra, what's wrong?" I asked in a sleepy voice. My eyes started to focus finally, the sleep starting to fade away. "Are you alright?" I continued in a mumble as I lifted my head from the pillow for a moment.

She was sitting next to me on the bed and she was looking down at me with a pout. "I thought that we were going to go to sleep together, I wanted to sleep with you. Why did I end up in my room?" she asked with a hurt voice. Her questions made me want to smile and frown at the same time. At least it wasn't just me who was missing sleeping in the same bed. It had just felt strange and wrong to sleep without her.

I told her the answer that probably neither of us wanted to hear. "Because it is your room, that is where you are supposed to sleep now," I told her with a wide yawn.

"But I don't want to. I like sleeping with you," she told me in a voice barely above a whisper. "Can I sleep with you?" she asked. "Please?" she pouted and her voice sounded like a little kid asking their parents if they could stay up a little longer.

My mind groaned at that but no matter what, I had learned and I knew that I couldn't say no to her. "Yea, get in," I mumbled as I scooted to one side of the bed and she undid the covers to get under them. She smiled widely and rested her head on the pillow as she settled in.

I turned the light off again and I turned back so I was on the side of the pillow closest to her, a new position that I seemed to like. After a few minutes, she curled herself into me and I wrapped an arm around her, welcoming her in, just like we usually did. Although this time was a little different, she did something new. She moved closer to me this time, tucking her head underneath my chin and tightening her grip around me. I did the same, the way we were almost knitted against one another was almost protective, promising, and most of all, it felt right.

I felt Quorra's free hand move to rest against my bare stomach. Her fingers pricked at my skin, sending small electrical currents down my spine. Her hands were warm against my bare skin, so inviting.

She was a cuddler; I had learned that much about her since she had been here. She absolutely loved it and I knew that if I were to turn on the lamp right now, she would have one of those perfect smiles on her face. I didn't know if it was because she had never been introduced to much physical companionship before now. I wondered if she had ever experienced something like this before.

I liked it though; feeling her warm body so close to mine was amazing and always brought a smile on my face.

I heard Marvin's collar jingling and then the door to the room opened a little more to allow my dog in. The next thing I knew Marvin had jumped up onto the bed and was walking over the both of us. "Marvin," I chastised even though I knew that my dog wouldn't understand and the fact that my voice sounded like a tired groan. Quorra breathed out a small giggle against my chest and shifted the slightest bit probably so she was more comfortable. Marvin decided to rest against both of our feet, laying his little body on the bed. His head was up at first from what I could see in the darkness, looking between both me and Quorra before resting his head against his paws.

Quorra's slightly moving hand stilled against my abs after a minute before she dropped her hand off of me, but she decided to bring it up and run her fingers through my hair.

I liked that about her, she wasn't afraid to explore. Her curiosity about everything was a trait that I particularly enjoyed. Her nature was so innocent, so soft, so caring, that it made anything that she did fine with me. It was always interesting to see how she did things, how she saw them. She always did something for a reason.

Her sigh broke my thoughts and I heard her yawn.

"Goodnight, Sam," I heard her murmur in the darkness.

"Goodnight, Quorra," I murmured back to her right before we both slipped into sleep.

**_So, yea, i know, a little lame...not much going on but...ehh. I hope to get a lot of reviews PLZ! I have a track meet on Saturday and if I happen to fall through I can look at the reviews and hopefully they will make me feel better! This track meet is really huge and I am so nervous yet so ready for it!_**

**_Anyways...Thanks for reading and i hoped that you liked it. You guys will be in for a surprise within the next one to three chapters so stay tuned! PLEASE REVIEW! I think I will do shout-outs next chapter!_**

**_LASTLY- if you have any ideas for the story, I will be glad to put them in. I already have a few and I am putting them in where they fit so I won't leave you out!_**

**_OH? And, just to get an estimate...how many of you wouldn't mind this story being upgrade to an M rated story? (This is expecially important, because whichever ends up with the most votes, i will be going with) I may make a poll of this sooner or later. But for now review or PM me to let me know what you think..._**


	11. Chapter 11

**_All right, I am back! School has been crazy and that track meet i was talking about was rained out and rescheduled for two of the days during the week so I have been really busy. But, I am super happy because I set a new personal record in my triple jump with 34-0 ft. So, i think that the small delay was worth it... (Sorry if you guys don't think so lol)_**

**_So this chapter is a little heavy... I realized that at some point Quorra would be a bit homesick per se, and miss everything, so i decided to do that now. i also worked on the relationship a little more and i think you guys will like the result (Or at least i hope...) There is a surprise in this chapter, but it isn't the one that i had talked about last chapter, (Honeslt, i don't know if that will happen or if so, anytime soon) so yea...I hope you guys love it! I really do!_**

**_I would like to give a shout-out to Charahftw for one of the scene ideas! Sorry that it took a while but I had to fit it in the right place... But still Thanks! _**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

Quorra POV

_I was in a house, not just any home though but one that resembled Flynn's hideout on the Grid, the home that I called my own for so many cycles. This place looked just like it and felt just like it, that same comfortable and memorized feeling. I looked around the open area, noticing that everything was in place from the way I had seen it last. There were minor changes though and that's what made me realize that I was remembering something._

_Flynn was sitting in his chair in front of the fire place, doing nothing in particular, just staring off into space, like he sometimes did when he was thinking about something important. That was when I noticed myself, or at least my former self, wearing my normal outfit, standing in front of the book shelf. I ran my clothed fingers over the spine of the books, reading the title of each one. "Flynn?" I had asked in my quiet and still shy voice. I had been with Flynn for a little under a cycle at this time and was starting to get used to him. "How did these books get here?" I asked him as I saw his head shift so he was looking over at me._

_He smiled in response and stood up, walking over to me. I knew he was about to tell me a story then, that was what he usually did. I liked his stories, they taught about earth, from the place that he came from. That world sounded fascinating to me, it sounded so intriguing and I wanted to learn as much as I could about it. "Remember how I told you that time is much faster here? How many hours here were just a few minutes back on earth for me?" he asked and then grinned slightly when I nodded my head in response. "Well, I took the time lapse as an advantage to widen my horizon, I guess you could say. It would take me just as long to read the books here but when you really think about it, it was only a few earth minutes," he told me with a small laugh. "So, I would start bringing them with me since I would finish the book faster," he finished with a shrug. There were so many books on the shelf, and he had read them all? I walked along the shelf, reading the various titles and authors of each book before I heard him speak up again. "Would you like to read them?" he asked me softly as he walked over to me again and picked out a random book that was quite large. I nodded eagerly at him, turning to look at him completely. "Then they are all yours, you can read them all if you want," he told me. "You will probably finish a lot quicker than I ever did and I think it is very good experience for you," he said with a nod of his head. "You cam learn a new way, instead of being lectured by me," he added with a laugh and a glance in my direction before putting the book back._

"_Thank you, Flynn, and no, I don't tire of your lessons. I get to learn more," I told him quietly. "I especially like it when you talk about earth, it seems so interesting," I stated with a large smile. "Can I go one day?" I asked him as I looked over the books and picked one out at random. "Then you could teach everything about earth as I explore it! That sounds like fun," I said happily._

_Flynn let out a short and steady laugh and shook his head. "If only I had the optimism that you had, Quorra," he said to the former me. "But yes, if I promise," he said._

_After he said that though, my former self, clad in my regular uniform vanished and Flynn seemed to acknowledge me for the first time in that moment. He didn't say anything at first, he just looked at me as if he were contemplating something. Neither of us made a move to walk towards the other but after a minute, Flynn seemed to snap out of his trance. A smile slowly spread across his face and he slowly moved towards me. "Flynn," I murmured, happiness filling my voice as my mentor and companion walked up to me. I really missed him, no matter how happy I was on earth, that was still there. Hurt, sorrow, and guilt about the fact that Sam and I couldn't bring him home. I regretted it now that I really thought about it. I wished he was here just as much as I had wished that I could ever be here "I'm sorry, Flynn," I whispered as I looked down at the familiar lit up floor._

"_And what would you have to be sorry for?" he asked with a hint of confusion in his voice. His eyebrows rose a degree or two as he looked at me for a moment. "You have done nothing wrong, my dear," he reassured me but for some reason that put an unsettling feeling in my stomach._

"_Yes, I did," I went on, my own voice growing a little higher with anxiety. "We left you, Flynn, I left you. I shouldn't have. You deserve to be here more than I do," I told him as I felt my voice crack and my eyes start to well up with tears from my own frustration at myself._

_He laughed quietly and shook his head. "You worry too much, it is what it is. I would rather it be this way anyways. And you have given my son something that I could never be," he said with a large smile. "I have already told you this, Quorra, you make him happy," he told me. "He is older now and I don't think I could accomplish making him truly happy like I could when he was young," he added._

"_But…" I started as he sat down in a chair that was near the fireplace. "It isn't fair," I mumbled as I looked over at him._

"_It is fair, everything that I did was done for a reason," he reassured me. "Anyways, you are much safer on earth than you ever were here whether you were with me or not…" he said but I started to hear his voice fade away. The hideout started to fade away as well, everything starting to turn black in front of me._

_I started to panic, I wasn't done talking to him but he was disappearing! "Flynn, wait! I have more questions," I said loudly but my voice just echoed back to me._

_The next vision that popped into my head though horrified me. It was similar to one of my previous dreams but it was different and ten times worse…_

_I was running down the streets of the On Grid, running away from everything, from everyone. Everywhere I turned , saw a friend, or just one of my kind being executed. I had seen my best friend being executed, the terrified look on Radia's face as the two programs attacked her and then derezzed her in the next instant._

_Saying that I was scared was an understatement. I didn't know where to go, where to go, how I would get out but in the end, I managed, with the help of Flynn. I remembered barely escaping on many occasions, either fighting my way through or barely escaping with skill. _

I was jolted awake out of nowhere then, my dream withering away just as easily as it had come. I was glad for that though, I didn't like remembering the purge. The bedroom was dark, indicating that it was still night out. My body was shaking and I looked around me quickly in fear, trying to reassure myself that I was in fact safe.

I sat up quickly and let out a shaky breath, trying to calm my nerves but it wasn't working. I could feel a wetness on my cheeks sand when I blinked, I felt tears roll from my eyes. I realized then that I was crying and my face felt very hot. I placed my head in my hands as I let out my silent cries. I didn't understand why I was crying though. Was I scared, upset, worried, sad? I didn't know that dreams could make you cry, but that wasn't a dream. Flynn and Sam had told me that dreams were happy and that dream didn't make me feel to happy

"Quorra." The sound of my name made me jump and turn to only see Sam looking up at me with concerned eyes. I had woken him up, again, and I hadn't even meant to. I watched as his face scattered as my eyes filled with more unwanted tears. When I blinked, and the tears fell down my cheeks, I could see Sam moving so he could turn on the bedside lamp in the darkness. I watched as he glanced at the clock on the bedside table and then reached a little farther to turn the lamp on with a sigh. "What's the matter?" he asked me as he rubbed his eyes and then turned his attention on me, his eyes locking with my teary ones.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I whispered, my voice still cracking and faltering though as I spoke to him. "I just-" I stopped myself as my body wracked another sob out. I shook my head at him and then wiped my hands across my face, wiping the tears away. I pushed the covers away from me and swung my legs over the mattress but before I could rest them on the floor, Sam's hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging against my movements to get my attention.

Sam's voice seemed more alert when he spoke this time. "What is going on, Quorra?" he asked me but I didn't turn to face him, instead I looked towards the window on my side. "What's wrong?" he continued as he pulled at my wrist again.

I finally turned to face him, looking into his blurry blue eyes. "Sam, it's just-I'm sorry," I whispered as I shook my head. "Can you give me a minute?" I asked as another sob made my voice quiver.

He looked at me for a moment and as I looked into his eyes, I saw sadness, and maybe a hint of fear? But he nodded his head and let go of my wrist with a look of defeat written on his face. "Sure," he said to me. He was sitting rigidly in the bed now as I stood, watching my movements carefully. I walked to the door and opened it, walking out of his room and across the den. I opened the door to my room and then walked inside, then opening another door to my bathroom.

I turned on the light and looked into the mirror that was in front of me. My face was a pinkish red color, going a few shades darker at my cheeks and then my cheeks were puffed up from my crying. Tears were streaming from my eyes and rolling down my face at random intervals. I knew why Sam had looked the way he did, I looked miserable.

I started to calm myself, stopping the tears that came from my eyes and then steadied my breathing so it didn't sounds like I was sobbing anymore. I turned on the faucet and filled my hands with water before splashing the water onto my face. I grabbed a towel and dried it off and sighed softly. I ran my hand through my hair, letting my fingers rake across the black short and smooth hair before looking in the mirror once more.

I counted to ten, trying to compose myself further before I went back to Sam. Once I finished, I turned off the light and walked into my room once more. I looked around the room until my eyes landed on the deck door. I walked over to it and opened it, and then closed it once more as I stepped outside. I rested my arms on the ledge and then placed my head in my hands, letting out another deep sigh.

Why was I feeling all of this regret now? I wanted to be here, right? I knew I wanted to be here but why was it feeling so wrong right now? I left everything behind, my entire life that I had lived for so many cycles, everything that I was or had was gone. Why did I feel so bad though? Why had everything just now hit me? More silent tears washed down my face as I tried to think straight

Flashes of familiar friends and places flashed in front of my eyes. My friends that I hadn't seen for so long, that were gone, I was seeing. Some of my favorite places, whether they were near or far from where I had lived, I was remembering. And then of course, Flynn, whom I had remembered every day while I was here. The memories were thick in my head, some good some bad, but all of them were still there thanks to my memory.

I jumped slightly as I heard the door behind me open. I knew it was Sam though. I heard the door slide shut and I listened as he neared me cautiously. Next, I felt something drape around my shoulders followed by Sam's hands. It was a blanket and it warmed me. It was colder than usual tonight but I hadn't notice until now.

"I may be kind of bad at math but I know for a fact that you were gone for a little over a minute," he murmured from behind me. He laughed softly but his laugh died when I didn't join in. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood and make me smile but I just couldn't, I didn't have it in me. I stood up straight and continued to look ahead of me, trying to clear my head so I could face him.

After a minute though I heard Sam sigh and then I felt him envelope himself around me from behind, his arms moving to encircle my lower stomach. I could still always feel that jolt of electricity when he touched me, that never went away and I felt it now. It seemed to calm me a little, or reassure me at least. "Talk to me," he murmured after another few seconds passed. "Please talk to me, you're starting to worry me," he went on as I felt his chin come to rest on my left shoulder.

I welcomed the comfort that he gave me and leaned my head against his softly "Sam, did I do the right thing?" I asked quietly as I looked out at the dark night. "I wanted to come here, I wanted to learn about this place, I wanted to make it my new home…but now, I feel regret, like I did the wrong thing," I told him as I focused my eyes on the full moon that was sitting high in the sky. "I had a dream, or…a bad dream, I think you had called it. I was remembering things, my friends, the purge, Flynn. Why does it hurt so much to remember?" I asked him as I felt my voice starting to choke on small sobs again.

I felt Sam's hands rub against my sides, an attempt to calm me and did a little bit. He sighed softly and held me tighter in his arms for a moment before replying. "You're homesick, Quorra," he told me after a moment of silence. "It's normal, and since you have had a major setting change, it was likely to happen. You spent so long there, Q and it's a big difference to be on earth. Don't worry about it, it's nothing to worry about," he reassured me tenderly. "You just need some more time to adjust is all, you have only been here for two weeks," he added as he rubbed my sides again. "And you have to ignore bad dreams, Quorra, no matter how much they bother you, you have to throw them out of your head. If they already happened like you said, it won't happen again, I promise you that, ok?" he asked in an even voice but at the same time agilely.

I nodded and tilted my head against his slightly so I could take a look at his face. "But I don't want to go back, I like it here, Sam, I do, I just…" I trailed off with a shrug of my shoulders, thinking about my answer for a moment before I went on. "I feel…I don't know, I've lost everyone that I knew. I don't have anyone anymore," I told him quietly. "I just feel…"I stopped myself again as I tried to find the right word for what I was trying to tell him but he cut in.

"Alone?" he suggested in a knowing voice. "It's amazing how that can make you feel like shit, isn't it?" he went on. I turned to look at him with a frown for a second. I didn't like it when he curse, it didn't sound tight coming from his lips but then again, he never cursed often, and I suppose, in this situation he was right. "And you're not alone," he went on with a smile brewing on his lips. "You have me," he started as he turned me to face him, repositioning us and then wrapping his arms around my waist again but this time from the front. "And you have Alan and Lora, we may not be around the two often enough, but they treat you just like you were their own daughter. They care about you just like I do, that won't change," he put in with a grin.

I wrapped my arms around him in a hug and buried my head into his chest. The blanket fell around the both of us now and I felt really cozy and warm in this position. I looked up at him after a moment and nodded. "Ok, I just need to try to forget about it," I murmured with a sigh. "But what if I can't forget? I usually don't but I want to, at least the bad parts anyways," I told him with an uneasy face..

"You might not be able to ever forget it, but you can't let it bother you," he rephrased after a moment of thinking. "It will be ok though, I will be here," he promised me.

I smiled at the amount of confirmation was in his voice and looked into his deep blue eyes again. "Good, because I need you," I told him with a small laugh and a small pout "You really know how to make me feel better, you know that?" I asked as I rested my chin against his chest and continued to look up at him.

"That's good then, nice to know I am being helpful," he murmured as he neared my face and then placed a kiss on my forehead and then both of my eyes, making them both flutter shut. "And that is good to know that you need me because…" he trailed off as he kissed one of my temples and then worked his way to my other. His kisses were starting to make my heart race and as the time slowly passed, I wanted his lips on mine. "I need you too," he breathed against my nose before kissing it and then my forehead. My body shivered at the delight that he caused as he kissed me, steering away from my lips every kiss. He kissed butterfly kisses across my cheeks and then down to my chin before moving to the part of my face that was in front of my ear.

After a minute of this, I started to become annoyed. Well…not annoyed, I guess, but I wanted him to kiss me like he normally did. My mood was completely forgotten by now and now my attention was focused solely on him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and ran my hands through his blond hair. I started to try and move his head in the direction of my lips, pressing my hands against his skin to either make him move or tell him what I wanted. He chuckled in response to my movements and I pouted. "Sam," I whined in a breathy voice that Sam probably didn't think was a whine at all. "Kiss me. Why are you doing that?" I whispered but cut off my attempts of talking as I moved my lips to his, kissing him gently. He joined in after another sly chuckle and took control, working his lips around mine, causing my body to stir like it always did.

Sam didn't respond for a moment until he lifted his lips off of mine barely. "To cherish you," he answered in a breath that tickled across my own lips and made my spine tingle once again. "And…" he started as he kissed me again. "I was hoping for you to react that way," he went on and I could hear the grin in his voice as he spoke. I laughed softly and tightened my arms around his neck as he kissed me once more. He kissed my bottom lip before bringing it between his and sucking on it gently. He switched to my upper lip , copying the same movements but this time he bit my lip tenderly as well. That made something stir inside me, something in the pit of my lower stomach seemed to come to life and for the second time I felt a burning sensation within me.

I whimpered as my body shuddered. I was starting to become confused now. How far could a kiss deepen to? Every time that I kissed him, the emotions and feelings seemed to double at least. But I pushed the confusion aside because at the moment, I didn't care, it felt too good to stop. I felt like nothing could ever get me down when I was kissing him. Was that how a kiss was supposed to feel?

Sam pulled away then and rested his head against mine. He rubbed his thumb softly over my smooth cheek and then ran his fingers through my hair. His breathing was slight heightened, as was mine, and we both started to steady our breathing. We didn't take our eyes off of one another and after a moment I spoke my thoughts. "Why did you stop? Did I not do something right?" I asked in a little fear. I felt like I had been doing it right, was I wrong though? Sam laughed then and shook his head at me before speaking.

"No, you did that a little too right, actually," he answered as he raked his hands through his hair, brushing his hand over mine briefly as he reached the back of my head. I looked at him in confusion then. There was a too right? He seemed to understand my confusion though because he rephrased for me. "You did it right, I don't think you have ever done it wrong," he said as he fiddled with a strand of my hair. I smiled in response and let out a small giggle at the strange face that he held. He grinned and placed his hand under my chin, grasping it with two fingers and leaning in to kiss me once more. This time he shifted us though. He pulled against my waist, tugging me forward softly and then his arms clasped around me tighter as he lifted me slightly. I peaked open one of my eyes just in time to see him sit in a chair. He repositioned me again so my body was facing to the side but my face was facing him.

The kiss felt…intimate? Was that the word I was looking for? It seemed to describe the kiss very well. I felt absorbed in it, completely consumed into the kiss. I felt Sam's hands move to my face, cupping my cheeks and pulling my face against his more.

A scraping and light pounding noise made us jump though and pull away from one another. We both looked at each other with confused eyes before the corners of my eyes caught a small figure that was immediately recognizable. It was Sam's dog, Marvin, pawing on the glass slide door from inside the den. I became partially annoyed at the small dog for ruining the moment but I soon got over it, because it wasn't a big deal. "It's just Marvin," I murmured with a small laugh, my breath heightened from the lack of oxygen that I had not been getting.

Sam laughed softly and released my face from his grasp. I stood and opened the door to let the dog out on the deck as well. Sam looked up at me from where he sat in the long reclining chair. "Would you like to go inside now? It's cold out and with what you are wearing, you must be cold," he said as he looked me over quickly. Marvin jumped up onto the chair beside Sam and lied down, glancing between the two of us with his large brown eyes.

I looked down at what I was wearing. Long flannel pajama pants and a purple tank top. I really wasn't that cold though so I shook my head at him. "No, I am fine. Can we stay outside? I feel a little more relaxed," I told him as I shut the door and walked back over to him. I was going to sit in the third chair that was on the other side of Sam but he opened his arms to me, welcoming me to join him. I joined him on the deck chair and he wrapped the blanket around the two of us again. I leaned my head into the crook of his neck and sighed contently, feeling at peace finally. I think I could have fallen asleep like this but I wanted to stay up with Sam and I had no idea if this was comfortable for him.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I looked up at the sky, at the large white orb that hung there. The moon was very pretty, my second favorite thing to look at other than the sun of course. The moon changed though, every night it was different. Flynn had taught me about the cycles of the moon and how once every month there would be a full moon and a new moon. Tonight was a full moon from what I could see, the moon was complete, a full white circle that emanated lots of light. It was so pretty!

I felt Sam's hand glide down part of my arm and stop on something. "What is this?" he asked out of nowhere. I looked down at what he was looking at and shrugged. It was my ISO mark, not as visible as it used to be though. The mark used to glow and eerie light color but now it was just a small scar that was a few shades lighter than my skin. Tonight it looked more like it used to though and I wondered why. It was lighter, almost a white color, almost glowing but not. Maybe it was the moon that did that, I had never noticed it like that before. "My ISO mark," I answered with a small sigh. "I have had it for forever, you probably just haven't noticed it," I told him with a small smile as he fingered the smooth mark.

"Are you sure? I would hope that I would notice it," he mumbled in a voice that told me that he was thinking about something. "Are you sure that you didn't do anything?" he asked with a concerned face.

"Sam, I am sure, I have had this for such a long time. It was what marked me as an ISO, everyone had it, and it never went away," I told him with a small laugh. "It used to glow though but now it doesn't," I said with a frown. "Although it seems to be more visible tonight," I added after a moment.

"Well, I don't think it would glow, you are human now, if I have to remind you again," he said with a chuckle and a nudge to my side. "That would be a little inhuman for us to glow no matter what the circumstances," he said with another shrug.

I smiled but shook my head at him. "I'm not human, Sam," I told him as I wrapped my arms around him. I wasn't human, no matter how much he thought I was or how much I wanted to be one, right? I was still me, I was still an ISO right? "Yes, you are, Quorra, we have the tests to prove it, you know," he went on as he rubbed his hand up my back. The movement was strangely comforting and it made me smile despite myself. "When we got your information and we did all of the blood working for you, not one thing was out of the ordinary," he informed me with a grin. "You may not believe it but you are," he finished softly. "You are just like everyone else, a person, living, thinking…" he trailed off as I felt his fingers run through my shorty silky hair. "…Feeling human," he went on as his hand ran across my face, causing the shocking sensations to course through my veins.

"Really?" I asked him, a smile thick on my face as I lifted my head to look at him for a moment before resting my head above his bare chest. I felt the warmth spread through my body again and I sighed. Sam didn't respond to my question immediately though and after a minute, I seemed to forget about it. Being wrapped in his arms seemed to be better than getting an answer to a question that he had technically already answered.

"I love you."

His voice was quiet, almost a breath but I heard it immediately. My breath stopped then and I looked up at him to see he was looking down at me with meaningful blue eyes. "What?" I whispered in response. Those three words, I knew were supposed to mean a lot when they were said but…could Sam really think that about me? Could he really love me? My heart started to race for the second time tonight, except this time much faster and at the same time, I could feel a heat swarm through every part of my body.

I felt and heard Sam heave in a breath before he continued but first, he lifted my head off of his chest so I was looking right at him. "I love you," he repeated softly. He was smiling broadly and his eyes were planted on my face. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek before pulling away again and smiling even wider. "So much."

Those words had never been spoken directly to me before and I didn't know how to react to it. I was happy, I knew that much, but what was I supposed to say back to him? Was I supposed to say anything back to him? I knew what the words meant now, unlike a few weeks ago and those many cycles on the Grid, but I still didn't know how to respond to what Sam said to me. "Sam…" I started in a whispered voice, keeping my eyes trained on him. "I don't know what to say," I confessed in a small voice.

"You don't have to say anything," he promised me with a soft look before his arms wrapped around me tighter, bringing me closer to him if that were possible. "Just let me talk for a minute," he murmured as he kissed the tip of my nose and then rested his head again the back of the recliner chair. "I have never… felt this way about anyone before now," he said to me with another large smile. "You have made me so happy and I have never cared for anyone more than I care about you," he went on.

I leaned into him again and sighed happily. "I…I think I love you too," I stammered in a small voice, unsure of how to approach it. I felt my cheeks burn, blushing a pinkish color like they always did. "I don't know, Sam. I think I do, I really do but…it's just so new to me," I went on with an uneasy voice.

He hugged me tighter and he kissed the top of my head. "And I am not expecting that you know that or not," he explained with a small smile. "I know you have been trying and that's all that matters to me," he murmured quietly. "But I do, I love you, Quorra," he said again as he hugged me gently again. I smiled up at him and curled up against him once more, wrapping my arms around his neck as my chin rested against his right shoulder. A fluttering feeling filled the inside of my stomach and I couldn't help but blush. I liked the sound of that, I realized that I liked those words coming from his lips.

"Well then, since you are so sure of it," I started as I brought my hand up to stroke across his cheek like he had done with me. "Then I love you too, Sam Flynn," I whispered with a happy grin.

Sam laughed softly and then I felt his lips behind my ear, kissing the spot tenderly. I shut my eyes and sighed in happiness, leaning my head against his. My arms remained locked around his neck and I brushed my fingers through his hair like I always liked to do.

I yawned then for a long moment and then moved to rest my head on his shoulder. "Tired, are we?" Sam asked with a chortling laugh. "We can go in now if you want, it is really late anyways and may I remind you that we have to be up early to be at ENCOM on time?" he reminded me as he sat up. I nodded and unwound myself from around him, standing up from his lap and walking over to the door. Sam stood as well and Marvin jumped down from the chair. I opened the slide door and walked into the den as Sam followed me and then continued on into the kitchen. "You want something to drink?" he asked me as I walked over to the fish tank and watched the small fish move in the brightly lit tank.

"Sure," I answered as I watched the tank for a few more seconds before turning and walking into the kitchen and sitting on the bar stool. Sam handed me a glass of water and I smiled as I took the glass cup from his hand and lifted it to my lips. I took a few sips of water and then set the glass on the marble counter top and then stood and started to walk towards Sam's room.

I heard his footsteps start to follow behind mine and I heard him turn off the light switch to the kitchen. The bedside lamp was still on in his room so it was easy to find my way around to my side of the bed. I crawled onto the bed and situated myself comfortably so I was lying on my side. Sam got into bed beside me and glanced at the clock before turning off the light. I did the same, it was 2:47 in the morning now. I wondered how that was going to turn out in the morning, I hoped that we weren't that tired because of me.

Sam turned off the light and pulled the covers up to cover the both of us. Sam wound his arms around me and pulled me closer to him. I smiled up at him and placed my arms against his shoulders. I wanted to be closer to him tonight though, so I did something that I had never done before but…felt right. I hooked my leg around his hips and moved so I was on top of him, so my legs were straddling his hips. I placed my head close to his on the pillow, so close that I could feel the warmth from his body running across my own face. Sam made a small grunting noise before turning his face to look at me, mere inches apart. His face was scrunched up for a moment and for a second I thought that he was upset that I had done that. "Do you not want that? Do you want me to move?" I asked him quietly with a small pout plastered against my lips.

He breathed out a laugh and shook his head. "No, you are fine right where you are," he said with a sly smirk on his face. He kissed my lips two times so quickly that I couldn't respond. "Now, goodnight, Q," he mumbled as his arms locked around me.

"Goodnight."

**_So? The first, "I loveyou" how was it? I tried to get a nice seting for it. And this chapter takes place exactly two weeks after they officially got together, so she has been here for about two weeks and a half. just thought i would clear that up a little. So i hope that you guys loved it!_**

**_I like the feedback on the subject on the possible change. So far it looks like it will be changing to M eventually. i have gotten a lot of votes for that... So thanks for the input because you guys's opinions count (Really, they do (: ) There is a poll for it on my profile to finalize everything, so feel free to vote! PLEASE DO_**

**_Also, if you have any ideas, feel free to PM or review me and tell me! Because i will put them in the story! I like ideas/advice from my readers so really, give me anything!_**

**_REVIEW PLEASE! It really means a lot to me! _**

**_C U guys l8r!_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**UPDATE- 04-09011 All right, I am keeping this chapter and will just make a better chapter 13...That is my final decision so i won't change anything else...I am having a bad day...lol, maybe that's why. anyways, read away...**_

_**So, I am a little uneasy about this chapter, I don't think it was the best i could do. Also, I did another request from one of my reviewers although I can't remember who it was. Sorry about that and if you are reading this just let me know and i will put your name in next chapter for the idea.**_

_**I really enjoy all of the review that i have recieved for this story! You guys are so amazing! I have hit the 170 review for this story and i am very close to 13,00 hits for the story as well. A big thank you to everyone that has reviewed with my story! VEY APPRECIATED! **_

_**I decided to start naming my chapters, i may go back and change the other chapters as well, but this will start happening for every chapter. Anyways, ENJOY GUYS!**_

**Jealous Much?**

Sam POV

We stood in silence as the elevators swiftly closed in front of us, starting to climb up the many floors to reach our destination. It was Wednesday now, exactly three weeks since Quorra had arrived on earth. She was fitting in very well for such a short time and she was even managing to teach me things that I had never really cared about before but now found interesting. I was very glad that she was adjusting to the new setting well; it let me know that I was doing something right for her. She was happy, so naturally, I was happy too.

I was planning a trip for the two of us for next week, for when she would have been here for an official month. I hadn't told her yet though because I still had to clear three days off or I would have to push it back to the weekend. I had told Alan of my plans and he thought it was a great idea. I was planning on taking her to the northern parts of California, where the mountains were so she could experience some new things like snow, the stars, an even better sunrise and sunset that would blow here mind away, and so much more. I was excited for it myself, excited to see how she would react to the new things, to see if it would light up her face like she did when she was really happy.

She was such a happy, fun loving, compassionate person that it rubbed off on me, her mood was contagious but I welcomed it, she was one thing that I couldn't get enough of. She was the most important thing in my life and I cherished her for what she was. I liked the relationship we shared, so knitted together, practically joined at the hip, but for some reason, it felt wrong to call her my girlfriend. The word didn't seem sufficient enough, lacking to what she actually meant to me. I didn't have a word for it though, but maybe that was a good thing.

It was amusing really, the things that she did. She would always seem to somehow surprise with something new that she either learned off of the internet or read in a magazine. I was going to have to end up taking those things away from her so she could stop looking things up. She was starting to drive me a little over the edge, not in a bad way, I thought that it was adorable that she was being spontaneous every so often, it made me smile really but…it was starting to make my mind wonder to things that I knew I shouldn't be thinking about. I couldn't help it though, she was so perfect, so flawless, so incredibly amazing, that I couldn't help but think it and, well, she wasn't being too helpful.

She was so innocent about everything that it practically killed me. I knew I had to be careful with her, one wrong move could scare her away and I didn't want that. I let her ease herself into things and when she showed that she wanted more, like she sometimes did, I would ease her into something else. She was willing, or at least she seemed willing to try new things. She was very eager and optimistic about it all, which made me more acceptable to the fact that she wanted this. Her innocence though, would bring on a lingering seductiveness that was hard for me to ignore at times. Her small and smooth fingers would dance across my face, or comb through my blond hair, and at times, her nimble fingers would run across the plains of my chest or my stomach. She was always calm as she did this; it never flustered her like it did with me occasionally. It was like she was trying to memorize me. Her fingers were gentle, almost soft feathers caressing my skin, enticing my body into small flames. I had to push the feelings away though and keep them hidden. I knew that she didn't know that she was affecting me in the way she was and I knew that it would stay like that for a while.

The chime from the elevator brought me out of my thoughts instantly as the doors flew smoothly open. Quorra stepped out first with me following right on her heels, both of us heading towards my office. When I turned down the hall that led to my office, I could see Alan standing in front of the door with a few files in his hands. I looked to my right and left, looking through some of the glass doors to see people scrambling for papers and looking for things. I turned back to Alan with a frown burrowed deep on my face. "What's going on?" I asked him as I walked ahead of him and unlocked my office door and then opened it, allowing both Quorra and Alan in before I walked in and shut the door once more. I watched for a moment as Quorra went to go take a seat in a cushioned chair in the small lounge with one of the Jules Verne books that she had decided to bring with her today and would probably finish today if she wasn't interrupted. I turned back to Alan to see that his eyes were trained on her too for a moment, his eyes brows raised above his glasses but then he turned to look at me.

Alan was aware as of last Friday that Quorra and I were dating, as he had called it anyways. I hadn't really viewed it like that or given it much thought until he had said the words. I guess I was going to end up telling Alan after a little while, maybe when Quorra had been here for a little longer, but I wasn't expecting him to find out so soon. It was an accident, at that. Alan had left some files for me to work on and then left to go talk with the stock and treasury teams. Quorra insisted on helping me out, saying that two heads were better than one and I would finish faster. Except that was the opposite effect. We had gotten about a fourth of the way through submitting the files to some database before the work was completely forgotten about. A minute later, Alan had reappeared into the room, opening the door to find Quorra sitting in my lap as I sat in my office chair, my arms encircled around the ISO's form, and our lips locked in a delicate and deep kiss. The two of us hadn't even noticed his arrival until he cleared his throat, causing my head to immediately turn and look at him as Quorra looked at me with confused blue eyes. Alan's face was unreadable, he was just looking between the two of us with raised eyebrows, but for some reason, he didn't look surprised.

I was expecting to get a nice long lecture from Alan about how wrong I was for doing this when there was a big chance that she had no idea of what was going on. He would probably have blamed me for taking advantage of her since she had no clue what was right and what was wrong in this sense, or something on the lines of that. But he didn't, and I counted my lucky stars for it, he seemed to be ok with it, or maybe he had already known about us. Another reason why I think that he didn't knock some sense into my head was that he was stressed, and hell, so was I. One of the systems had been temporarily been out of use for maybe seventeen minutes but when the technical support had the operator back up and running, there was chaos, and I wasn't too fond of that, and neither was Alan. I guess, better Alan than someone else right? I mean, I knew that Alan really didn't care all too much but I am pretty sure that if someone else had walked in, I would be hearing about it for a while, and so would Quorra for that matter.

"There is a board meeting today remember? There is one every two weeks on Wednesday, you remember that. And you also remember that when we do have these board meeting, you are supposed to be here an hour _earlier_ than you are supposed to, not an hour and a half _later_," he told me with a disgruntled expression. "Come on, kiddo, you were doing great for the past two weeks, don't let us down now," he went on with an exasperated touch to his features. "Care to explain why you were late, or do I not want to know?" Alan went on with an unamused frown that showed his discontent.

"Come on, Alan, what's with the bad mood today? The alarm didn't go off, that's all. We slept in for a little bit," I told him with a sigh. "I promise that I set it too, but it didn't go off. I'm sorry," I told him with a small smile. "You should cut me some slack, Alan, I have been here on time for a little over two weeks now. I think that one time is ok, don't you think? No need to make a big deal of it, right?" I said as I walked over to my desk and sat in the large office rolling chair. Alan followed and placed the manila folders on my desk as I turned the laptop on and then glanced at the folders. "What are those?" I asked him as I yawned again. I guess I still was a little tired, I hoped that I could survive for the next few hours.

"Nothing to really worry about at the moment. I only brought three of them, Ed has the other two and he will stop by around noon today to go through them with you. He will explain the new model program that will be launched in a week," he said to me. Ever since I had leaked the OS12 program, the designers had started working on hard on making another, one that was possibly faster, more efficient, and even less time consuming than it already was. I wasn't expecting that they would be so close to finishing so soon, not that I had a problem with it though. "It won't take too long though; he will just go over the gist of everything. The rest of it will be explained in more of a detail either today or sometime this or next week," Alan added with a shrug

"Ed?" I asked him as my eyebrows rose in confusion. "Is he new or something?" I asked him as I scratched my head. I had tried to meet most of the people that I encountered during meetings or even just walking the halls, so I would remember them for future purposes. I hadn't remembered an Ed in any of the board meetings. He must have been new right?

"New? Yea, maybe four years ago," Alan said with a small laugh. "Maybe you will remember him by the name, Ed Dillinger Jr. He took over the development of OS12 and has done the same with the new programming product," Alan told me. "I don't think he was at the last board meeting, maybe that is why you don't know him," he mumbled as he ran his hand across his chin. "He is Ed Dillinger's son, I know you know him," Alan went on as he looked over at me from across the desk.

I knew who he was talking about now. Of course I knew him. He was around my age, maybe give or take a few years. I didn't know him to well but since I was the top shareholder in ENCOM, I knew most of the highly ranked people here. "Yes, I am aware of who he is," I told Alan with a nod of my head. I wasn't too trusting of the Dillinger's, his father and know him had successfully tried to wipe my father's name off of ENCOM, like he had never been there. He and his father tried to rid everything that had to do with my father away. So, this was going to be great.

Alan nodded and started to back away from the desk, towards the door. "Alright then, I have to go," he said as he started to leave but before he reached the door, he turned to look at me with skeptical eyes. "And try to be nice, ok? The last thing we need right now is unneeded and unwanted hostility. Got it, kiddo?" he asked me as he sent me a knowing but authoritative look. "You know where I will be if you need me," he added as he reached for the door, turned, and then left the office as the door clicked shut once more.

I sighed and then turned my head to look over to where Quorra was sitting, only to find two prurient blue eyes gazing at me. Her book rested in her lap now with her hands settled on top of the pages lightly. "Who was Alan talking about? That name sounds familiar for some reason," she started off as she tilted her head to the side. "You don't like this man? I think it is rather biased and a little judging to not like somebody when you barely know who they are," she told me with a reprimanding look on her face that made her look adorable. "Flynn taught me that, and I think that the same rule should apply no matter where you are, Sam," she told me with a saddened face.

"You may have heard my father speak of his father once or twice a long time ago," I told her with a shrug as my eyes grazed over the three folders that rested on my desk still. "They turned the company into something that was exactly the opposite of what my father wanted. All of the software that was created when my dad was in charge of the company was given away for free, not sold for some ridiculous price," I said to her gruffly. "They made sure that all of the software had a cost to it no matter what. Him and his father took away what the company used to be and turned it into something totally different, in a bad," I went on and I watched as she nodded, starting to comprehend what I was saying. "I am not saying that I don't like him, I am just saying that I don't trust him," I finished with a small frown.

"Oh, ok," she murmured softly. "Can I come to the board meeting with you?" she asked me with a small pout plastered on her lips. "Please?" she asked me. I nodded in response as I turned my head back to my computer to log in, which I had forgotten to do a few minutes ago.

"Although, it will be boring, I would rather not go really," I told her with a smile and a small laugh as I glanced over at her form again. "You know that you don't have to go, don't you?" I reminded her softly. She had started to read her book again but her head popped up to look at me again. Her eyebrows furrowed and I could see the frown on her face at my comment.

"No, I want to go, even though you are right. They are boring," she told me with a tiny laugh. "But the board meeting room is interesting, it reminds me of the Grid," she told me honestly as she shrugged her delicate shoulders. "The lighting somewhat, and how everything can be done by fingerprints, stuff that I am more used to," she said with a small smile.

I smiled at the resemblance that she had just pointed out, I had never really noticed that, but then again, I guess that she would since she was so accustomed to that setting. Quorra once again started to read the book that sat in her lap and I refrained from talking so she could read it. It was a little past 10:30 so I had over an hour to kill.

I finally decided to finish some paperwork that I hadn't finished yesterday. I had taken Quorra home early because she wasn't feeling well. She had complained of a headache and we got home, I had discovered that she had a fever as well. I had debated on taking her to a doctor to see if she had picked up some kind of virus or anything but when I had gone back into my bedroom to ask her, she was already fast asleep. I decided to reconsider taking her to the doctor in the morning if she was still not feeling well, it could just be a little bug, right? I slept with her last night, not caring whether or not I caught whatever she had. When we woke up in the morning though, she was fine, just like any other day, which made me think that she was probably sleep deprived. She hadn't been getting the best nights of sleep since she had been here and I knew that after a while that could catch up with a person and make them feel sick. I just had to work on making sure that she slept for a close to normal amount of hours a night so she wouldn't have to go through that anytime soon. She had gotten about thirteen hours of sleep last night and I could tell that it was affecting her positively. She hadn't looked as tired when she woke up this morning and she had woken herself up instead of me. She ended up waking me up actually, which was a relief because who knows how much more we would have slept in otherwise.

My mind continued to wonder as I started to go through the semi large stack of papers that I had pulled out from one of the drawers to the desk. Sometimes, this could get really boring, I had no idea how my father could do this almost every day for so many years. At least there was a lot of vacation time, which I knew I would be using since this was exactly a walk in the park most of the time, and the fact that I was going to show Quorra the world, according to her. That sounded like fun actually; there were so many places, so many possibilities where we could go. First, I guess it would be smart to start within the country before we started to go out of the country. I knew that eventually, I was going to take her to Italy, London, England, and so many more places. I knew that she would love them all, and that's what made it fun to explore with her.

It was almost Christmas time and decorations were starting to become apparent among the streets. Quorra would look on in wonder at the red, white, and green, decorations as we were out. She hadn't asked me about the reason why the décor was out though, she seemed to embrace it in the moment but I could still see the curiosity in her shocking blue eyes. I was thinking that I would actually celebrate it this year, with her. Maybe I would get a tree, probably an artificial one, get some ribbons, ornaments, a star, maybe a wreath or two, a few other various Christmas decorations, and maybe a mistletoe or two, which I think could be fun once Quorra learned the meaning behind the small little decorative. I hadn't really celebrated Christmas in about five years; I never was really in the mood too. Of course, when I was younger, I had my grandparents to celebrate with and then once they passed away, I celebrated the holiday with Alan and Lora for a few more years, but after I dropped out of college, I sort of lost the spirit. Why celebrate a holiday when you really had no one to celebrate it with? That's the way I had viewed it and I refused to go over and be a burden to someone else, so I just didn't celebrate. I knew Quorra would like to celebrate Christmas, once she knew what it is anyways, and she was someone to celebrate with, she was practically family, right? I wondered what kind of presents I could get her. I had no idea what she really liked; she probably didn't really know what she really liked. I could practically see the joy on her face though as she opened various presents, how her eyes would be wide, a smile pursing her lips lightly. I had time anyways, to find some things that she would really like. It had to be perfect.

Once I finished with the paperwork, I sorted them out into two stacks and then placed them both into a large file folder. I stood then and Quorra's head turned to look at me. "Where are you going?" she asked softly as she shut her book and sat up a little more. "I am tired of reading, can I come with you?" she asked me as she set the book down on the glass table.

I nodded. "Sure, I may need you to drop one of the files off at Alan's office anyways, it is 12:00 and I am pretty sure Ed will be here soon," I told her as she stood with a large smile. I handed her one of the files and we walked out of my office side by side. We turned from down the hall and to the open area where a few people sat at a large round glass office table. I walked up to the table and a woman in her mid-thirties looked up at me. Quorra came to a stand next to me and looked around the area like she always did, her eyes taking everything in as quickly as possible. She started to look down the different halls and I knew what she was looking for. "Alan's office is down that hall," I directed as I pointed to the hall directly to our right. "You remember where it is?" I asked her. She nodded and walked off with one last glance in my direction as the lady behind the large table took the file of papers and started to sift through them, putting them in file cabinets and then setting a small handful aside.

I turned my head again to watch Quorra walk down the hall. A door opened a little ahead of her and to her left that probably led to an office that someone else had. A young man came out of it. He looked fairly young, about my age, and wore glasses and had dark brown hair. I recognized the man immediately, it was Ed Dillinger Jr.

"Oh, I am so sorry," I heard Quorra's familiar voice chime in as I refocused on her. She had come to a stop in front of the man that she had almost run into. "I didn't mean to run into you," she murmured as she stepped to the side and was about to start walking again before the young man started talking.

"N, I am sorry," he said and I frowned as I saw his facial expression. "I don't think we have met before, but I have seen you around, what's your name?" he asked her in a smooth voice. The face that I wanted to see was facing away from me, to see her expressions. I didn't like the way he was looking at her, kind of like the way a lot of guys did whenever we went out.

She seemed to think for a split second before replying to him. "I'm Quorra Garner," she murmured and for a moment I thought I heard her slip up on her last name. It was really only in use for legality purposes so we never really used it out in public or anywhere for that matter.

"Well, hello, Ms. Garner, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Ed Dillinger Jr." he said with a grin in her direction as he stuck out his hands towards hers and she shook it tentatively. "But since that is such a long name, you can just call me Edward if you would like," he told her and I swear that I saw him wink at her with his right eye. He was sucking up to her and he had just met her. How was I supposed to try and be nice to him when he was doing that? "Do you work here? In what field?" he asked her as he released her hand after an extended handshake.

She paused once again before answering him. "I'm with Sam," she softly. I felt a tap on my shoulder then and turned quickly to see the lady looking at me with strange eyes.

"Can you fill these out real quick? Then I can give you the folder back with the finalized draft in it," she said and I nodded slightly but my eyes flew back to where Quorra was.

"Sam Flynn?" he asked her. I was glad that he couldn't particularly see me very clearly from where I stood and he probably didn't know what I looked like exactly. "I am actually going to speak with him right now," he told her with a smile and I saw Quorra's head nod. "Where are you off to then? I believe that his office is on the other side," he told her with a small smirk.

"I know, I am dropping something off for him while he was waiting for you," she told him as she stepped to the side again so she could go down the hall but he did the same. "I need to give these to Alan," she went on and I felt a hint of exasperation in her voice. Did she know what was going on?

"Ah, he has you doing that?" he asked and I watched with narrowed eyes as he shook his head. "I can give you a hand if you'd like. Is that heavy at all?" he asked her in a sly voice. I laughed at that one; thank god Quorra didn't understand pickup lines yet. That still angered me though but I knew I had to put that aside so I could talk to him in a few minutes.

I wished that I could have seen her face as he asked that though, she was probably looking at him like he had three heads or something. "No thanks, I don't need any help. It's a folder that doesn't have much paper in it; of course it's not heavy. It's actually very light, but if you'd excuse me, I must be going, and you should too," she told him in an even voice.

He laughed though and shook his head again. "You are so funny, but yes, you are right, we both have things to do," he agreed with another large smile in her direction. "Maybe we should hang out sometime, hmm?" he started and I watched as he seemed to ponder over the question for a moment. "But we will have more time to figure that out, I'll see you around?" he asked as he looked at her with another smirk.

I turned to the lady after I finished filling out the form and she handed me the folder back. I took it and started down the hall back to my office, but slow enough to hear the ending of the conversation. "Umm…sure?" Quorra said and to my happiness, it sounded more like a question and she sounded confused.

I swiftly turned down the hall and then walked into my office, shutting the door behind me and then taking a seat at my desk. I already didn't like this guy from what he had shown so far. I didn't appreciate him flirting with Quorra. I guess there was a plus to her not knowing what was going on, or did she know?

I heard a knock on the door and Ed Jr. opened the door and took a few steps in. "Ah, Mr. Flynn, I am sorry I am late, I just-"

I cut him off instead of hearing whatever kind of story he had to offer. I remembered that I had to be nice so I started on that. "It's alright, don't worry about it, really, and call me…" I trailed off with a small frown. "Sam," I told him with a small smile. I let everyone else call me Sam so why not, right? "Take a seat," I said as I motions to one of the chairs that sat opposite of my office desk.

He walked up to the desk and stuck out his hand. "I am Ed Dillinger Jr. it is nice to meet you, Sam," he said with a kind smile. I shook his hand and nodded towards him before releasing his hand and sitting back in the large chair behind my desk. I closed my laptop and pulled out my iPad from the second drawer and turned it on in case I was going to need it while we went over this new program.

He sat down in one of the chairs and fanned out the two other folders along with the three that already sat on my desk. He put them in some kind of order and went through one at a time, explaining the new software program in explicit but small detail. He hit most of the key points as we went along.

He went through a small simulation that was on his iPad, showing me the new advances and what made this new software different than the old one, how it would help be more efficient, and even save energy. He stopped after a moment though and looked up at me. "Will these software programs be open for profit or…?" he trailed off as I looked at him for a moment.

"No," I told him evenly. "That will be going back to the way it used to be, I think the entire company has become aware of that new change. All software updates will be shared and free to everyone anywhere. Enough money is made as it is and the rest is just ridiculous," I stated in a hard voice that left no room for opinions or statements about the subject.

He nodded in response and thankfully left it at that, going through with the rest of the model before showing me the outcome of the run through. "When will this be finished?" I asked him as I looked at the unfinished type on his iPad. I had to give him some credit; the new software looked a lot more efficient than the last one did

"The board and I have concluded that the program should be done by next Tuesday if everything runs smoothly, which seems to be the case right now, and we will have the software ready for launch on Friday," he told me with a proud smile. "Does that sound alright?" he asked me.

"Yes, sounds perfect," I told him as he closed the folders and started to collect them one by one. I stood then as he did and smiled.

"All right then, if that is all, I will leave you to it, and anyways I have to prepare for the board meeting anyways," he started to ramble as he looked behind him but then turned back and shook my hand once more before turning and starting to leave.

"Wait, hold on," I said as he reached the door but turned and looked at me with a questioning expression. "I couldn't help but notice as I was running some errand a little while ago," I started as I looked over at him. I wasn't going to make a big deal out of what had happened but I had the need to let him know that she was off limits. My body burned with resentment at the situation. "The young lady that you had run into as you left your office," I went on and I watched with a large frown as his face seemed to light up.

"Ah, yes," he started with a large grin. "Quorra was her name," he added. "What about her?" he asked me with a waiting expression that told me that he was eager to hear what I had to say for once. My eyes narrowed once again at him and I walked out from behind my office desk and leaned against the front of it instead.

"Yes, I know who she is," I told him with an emotionless voice. "Stay away from her," I threatened lightly as my eyes narrowed a few degrees. "She isn't yours," I went on with an even voice.

His face seemed to morph between discontent and a little anger at my statement. "Why?" he asked with partial confusion and the other half anger again. "Why not?" he went on with a smile as he looked at me, searching my face for something. "Are you the jealous type?" he went on as his hand reached for the handle.

I glared at him for a moment before I answered his question. "She is my girlfriend," I stated harshly and I could help but smile for a moment as I watched his face sadden for a second. "And I didn't appreciate you flirting with her," I went on in the same hard voice. I seemed to be ok with calling her my girlfriend in this situation for some reason; maybe it was because I was getting my point across?

After a moment though, he was smiling again. "She didn't seem to mind," he teased in a snaky voice. "And how do I know that's true? That's not what I have heard," he taunted with a grin. He turned completely then, thinking that he had the upper hand in the conversation now.

"And what have you heard then? And where have you heard it for that matter?" I asked him as my glare deepened, causing a crease in my forehand to show.

"She is just a business partner of yours _not_ your girlfriend. And your little friend is a lot more popular than you think around here, so about everywhere for that second question," he said with a shrug and a smirk in my direction.

His last statement had me a little worried. How come I had never heard of anyone talking about Quorra? Maybe he was lying, I knew that he was trying to piss me off now, so what better way than that right? But still, that made me a little uneasy that she was more of a topic than I would have thought. She never really left the office much, unless she was with me, and not that many people saw her right? Where was she now anyways? Shouldn't she be back from giving Alan the folders already? But then again, it was just Alan, they were probably just talking. I knew that she trusted him and wasn't afraid of him. She would chat with him when he was in my office usually.

My mind refocused on Ed then. "We are, and I am telling you to stay away from her," I told him in a final tone that left no room for argument from his side.

We stared each other down for a good minute before he seemed to give up. "Sure, dude, sure," he said in a heated voice as he opened the door and walked out, practically slamming it shut behind him. I knew what that phrase meant though, 'No, I will do what I want'. That angered me greatly and I wanted to go after him and punch him in the face at that moment but I knew I couldn't. I had too much to deal with as it is and I knew that he wouldn't be able to get to her with me having a say in it. Plus, I knew that if I did punch him, Alan would be oh so happy with me.

I had to ignore him, no matter how much it was bothering me; I had to push it aside because I would be seeing him later at the board meeting that I would have to attend. That was in an hour, and all I had to do was sit through about a half hour of that and then Quorra and I could go home for the day since everything was already finished for the day

The door opened again and I jumped slightly, the noise pulling me out of my thoughts and for a moment I thought I was Ed but I softened up when I saw that it was Quorra. "Hey, what's the matter? You look upset. Did you little meeting with the man not go as planned?" she asked me as she neared by desk. "Oh and Alan said thanks, and that you didn't have to do all of that, he could have done it," she said to me with a tiny smile.

"I guess you could say that," I mumbled as I stood from leaning against the desk. "And as for Alan, it wasn't that hard, it kind of just passed time, so why not?" I went on as I took a seat in my desk.

Quorra tilted her head to the side and looked at me with questioning eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked me again as she walked around next to me and sat on the glass desk and crossed her legs over the other.

"Nothing, Q, it is nothing to worry about," I promised her as I took her smaller and smoother hand in mine, squeezing it gently. She eyed me for a few seconds before shrugging it off for now but I had a feeling that we would be revisiting this later. She usually got something that she wanted to know out of me within the day, she knew how to make me talk, which I didn't mind, because whether I thought so or not, I did need someone to talk to. So why not her?

"Alan told me that you were planning a trip for next week," Quorra said after a minutes of silence. My eyes shot up and I looked up at her. She wasn't supposed to know that yet. "That sounds like a lot of fun," she added with a large smile as she started to swing her legs from where they hung over my desk.

"Why did he tell you?" I asked her as I leaned back in the chair.

"I don't think he was supposed to…and he didn't tell me very much anyways. I think it slipped out because once he said it, he cursed," she told me with a small giggle. "He said that it was supposed to be a surprise for me since I would have been here for a month next week. He didn't tell me where you were taking me though, or anything else. He said it was supposed to be a secret," she said as she placed a finger over her pursed lips, making a small shh noise as she did this. That made me laugh despite myself at how cute that was.

I nodded at her. "Yes, it was supposed to be a surprise, but I don't think you will know where we are going even if I did tell you, I guess that is the good thing that you don't know about everything yet," I told her and she pouted at me. "But I am still not telling you, and you can't ask Alan or Lora either," I added with a grin.

"Aww, Sam," she whined. "I want to know, please?" she asked softly.

"Hmm…no," I murmured as I stood and ruffled her hair. She snorted at me and ran her fingers through her hair, fixing the short black locks into place once more. "You can find out next week like you are supposed to," I told her as I stood from my chair. "Now, we should get going, the board meeting starts in ten minutes," I said.

She nodded and wriggled off of the desk, landing lightly on her feet before stepping to my side. We walked out of my office and then down the hall towards the elevator. Once the elevator opened, the two of us along with one other person stepped inside and I pressed the level that we were going to. Quorra was glancing outside of the glass elevator wall, looking up at the sun that was now starting its decent on the sky for today. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that after three weeks, Quorra was still amused with the sun. The doors to the elevator opened then, and Quorra and I stepped out, starting to walk down the hall that led to the conference room.

When we arrived, there were four other people in the room, including Alan. I took my seat at the head of the table and Quorra sat in between Alan and I this time. We waited as the board members started to come in, taking their seats around the large glass table. When one man came in though, I couldn't help but glare.

Ed took his seat to my right, across from Alan. His eyes focused on me for a moment, a mocking scowl before turning his eyes on Quorra. He knew that he was messing with me; he knew that he was getting on my nerves, this seemed to be some sort of game to him and I didn't like it at all. Quorra didn't notice him though, her eyes were too busy scanning around the room and taking in the many people and things around her. Her eyes landed on me and she frowned softly, she could tell that I didn't look happy and I could tell that she wanted to know why. She didn't say anything though, she probably thought better of it, worried that she would say something she wasn't supposed to around a lot of people. She knew that she didn't need to draw attention to herself.

Alan started off the board meeting this time, going over a quick summary report of the last program, OS 12, now taken the name of Flynn OS. He showed the pros and cons of the product and what should be improved on in the future.

But…I wasn't going to lie; I wasn't paying much attention to him. My eyes were trained on Ed Jr., and his eyes were trained on me. He had a heavy smirk on his face that I really wouldn't mind wiping clean off of his face. I already didn't like him but he didn't need to give me a hard time outside of that.

Alan sat down and Ed Dillinger Jr. and the man next to him stood, both of them walking up to the front of the room and turning on the large panel wall. Everyone turned their seats to look at the two of them and Quorra and I did as well. I could still see him glancing my way every few seconds and he didn't look that into presenting as he had when he had been talking with me earlier. When I turned my chair around, I could see Alan looking at me with a strange face and I could see a hint of concern showing on his features. I just shook my head him and looked towards the paneled wall.

"Flynn OS 2, is now the most secure product that ENCOM has created, this new product is faster, more capable than any other of our software's," he started as the other man started to run through the program. He glanced at me once more, giving me one dirtier look before he continued. "Since we are aware that new software's will no longer be for profit, the software will be launched internationally on Friday," he went on. "This software will be fresh, easy to set up, and put ENCOM ahead of all of the other companies."

He walked across us and stopped in front of Quorra, giving her a slick and smug smile before looking around the room. "Questions? Suggestions?" he supplied with open arms. His voice sounded odd then and his face contorted into another withering grin that was pissing me off once more.

I turned in the chair so I was facing the table once more. The rest of the board members, including Alan were looking at him with a strange face and that told me that he hadn't presented the software the way that they had all planned. One lady raised her hand slightly at him and he nodded towards her. "How will we be distributing it?" she asked him. She was the head of the treasury department team; I had remembered seeing her before, at the first meeting. Her and a few other people had come to sit in on this meeting since I t was one of the most important meeting of the month.

"On the headquarters site, either it can be downloaded or disks will be sent to the customers that have requested one from our website. There is no need to have the file in stores since it can be accessed easily," he answered. "We wouldn't want any…miscommunications, now would we?" he went as he sent me another dry glower. He was making me angry again and I was ready to get out of here before I did something that I would regret and Alan would be mad at me for. I just wanted to take Quorra and go home. My head was aching and I was not in the mood for someone, especially him, to be messing with her.

Alan stood then and was about to speak but before he did, he caught Ed's face. He looked at me then and he didn't seem to be amused. "What is going on?" he asked in a hard voice that had everyone's attention turned on him. He was looking between Edward Dillinger and me. "Anyone want to answer me? What's going on?" he said again. Neither of us answered at first, we were staring at each other for a long moment before Ed stood from the chair that he had just sat in, starting to slowly make his way to the door.

"She isn't your property," he said darkly. "Don't act like she is," he went on as he neared the door.

"Back off," I told him simply as I stood from my chair as well. I could feel eyes resting on me, going back and forth from to him. "If you don't, I will make you," I threatened him in a dry voice.

He snorted and glared at me. "Then make me," he said and then he tore his glaring gaze from me to Quorra. "There is something weird about you," he started before his eyes rested on me again. "There is something wrong here and don't put it past me to find out what it is," he told me as he opened the door to the conference room and swiftly left, shutting the door behind him. I watching him walk down the hall until he turned a corner before I looked over at Alan.

Silence filled the room though and slowly people started to get up from their seats and leave the room, seeing that the board meeting was over. I snuck a glance over at Quorra to see that her eyes were filled with shock and she looked scared. Had she realized what had just happened?

Edward Dillinger's statement left me a little unsettled and nervous. He couldn't find out about her, could he? The only people that knew about Quorra were Alan and Lora, and I knew that Alan wouldn't tell or Lora and she never even came here. I couldn't help but worry about what he said though. This gave me another reason not to trust him. Maybe he was just trying to mess with me; I hoped that was the reason why. There was no reason for him to think that there was something strange about her, right?

A tap on my shoulder brought me out of my thoughts. It was Alan, and as I looked around, I realized that the two of us and Quorra were the only people in the room now. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. He can lose his head pretty quickly, it's not like this hasn't happened here before. He was just trying to tick you off," he said in a calm voice.

"Well, it worked," I mumbled as I stood from my chair and Quorra did the same after a few seconds. She looked tired for once, wary, instead of that happy, fun loving ISO that I usually saw. I had seen this once before from her, when we were on the Grid.

"Just let it go, ok? Knowing him, he meant nothing when he said that. It will be like nothing happened tomorrow," he promised me as we started to walk to the door. "And hey, be happy, you get to go home not, and so do I," he said with a small laugh and a smile.

I smiled and let out a small sigh, gripping Quorra's hand with mine. She still hadn't said anything and I was wondering if something was wrong. "I guess you are right, we will see you later then," I said as I opened the door and started to walk out with Quorra by my side.

Quorra and I made one stop at my office, so I could lock the office and get my keys. We took the elevator back down to the lobby and then went to the parking garage to get my car. We had driven the car today since it had been raining earlier this morning. Quorra got into the passenger seat as I got into the driver's side and started the car, backing out and starting to head for home.

"Sam," she said softly, her voice sounding wary and indifferent. "Is that my fault? Did I do something wrong?" she asked after a minute. I pulled into our garage section for the apartment complex and parked the car next to the Ducati. We both got out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the building as I spoke.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," I promised her as we made our way to the elevator, and then I pressed level six as we stepped inside. "And no, it isn't your fault either," I went on with a sigh as the elevator opened again and we started to walk down the hall to the apartment. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise," I reassured her but it sounded like I was trying to reassure myself more than her at the moment.

We both walked into the apartment and were welcomed by Marvin immediately. "Are you sure?" she asked me with concerned eyes as she took off her jacket and put it in the closet.

"I'm sure," I promised her as I put my jacket away and then walked into my bedroom. I was thinking of taking a nap, it was only 3:00 and maybe we could stay up and watch a movie tonight if Quorra wanted to. I walked into my closet and redressed into a t-shirt and sweat pants and when I walked out of the closet I laid down on the made bed.

Quorra came into the room about a minute later and she stared at me with quirked eyebrows. She looked worried. She sat on the foot of the bed in front of me and then after a few seconds of thinking, she drawled on top of me and crossed her arms over my chest, resting her chin on them. "Tell me what's wrong. I know something happened today to lead up to that. I know you, and there must've been something to have upset you before then," she told me.

I was surprised on how well she understood me; it was like a talent of hers. I guess she had been around me long enough to know most things about me. I sighed and looked down at her face. "What do you think of him?" I asked her instead. That question felt more important to me. Was I really jealous of him?

"Why do you care, Sam?" she asked me softly as she lifted her head and moved it so hers was right above mine. "I talked to him earlier, he seemed nice then but I don't know, Sam," she told me. "He was being kind of confusing a little bit," she said honestly.

I could help but breathe out a laugh. "He was trying to hit on you," I told her finally, thinking that maybe she did need to know. "Do you know what that is?" I asked her with a small smile.

"I think…" she answered as she scratched her head. "Like in the movies that we watch sometimes? Someone will say something to try and impress someone else?" she asked me.

I nodded. So maybe this wouldn't be as hard as I thought. "Yes, that is pretty much the meaning. I had gotten a little ticked off, I guess, and he saw that and started to use it against me," I said finally with a small shrug. "I was…jealous, I guess," I stated.

She was silent for a moment before smiling widely and leaning in to kiss me quickly. "Why would you be jealous, silly? I do know about jealousy and I know that you should have no reason to feel that," she told me with a small laugh as she started to twist her fingers in my hair, a new gesture that she seemed to be very fond of.

Maybe she was right, was I overreacting just a little bit? He still had no right to hit on her though, or threaten her for that matter. Jealousy or not, I didn't think I would be able to trust him. "Just do me a favor," I told her in a velvety voice as I moved my hands to the side of her face. She looked at me, waiting for me to go on and after a few second I did. "Just…stay away from him, I don't trust him, I never have and I don't think I ever will," I said to her as I caressed her face for a moment before dropping my hands and moving my arms to wrap around her small body. "I don't want you getting hurt," I told her softly.

She laughed softly and sat up with her legs still straddling my waist. "Stop worrying, ok? Everything will be fine, just like always, but sine it means so much to you, ok," she told me with a smile.

I sat up and smiled at her as I moved her so her legs were wrapped around me. "That's all I am asking," I murmured as I pressed my lips to her temple and then against her neck. "You're the best," I told her as I moved to press my lips against hers for what seemed like the first time all day. I felt the smile against her lips as I kissed her.

That made me realize something. Quorra was right; I had no need to feel jealousy or resentment towards Ed Dillinger Jr. I already had her, she was right here, wrapped tightly in my arms, as I kissed her. She was with me and she was happy.

And in this moment, that was the only thing that really mattered to me.

**_See, kinda bad, right? Well. anyways...tell me what you think plz! If you loved the chapter, tell me why and if you weren't too fond of the chapter plz tell me why. I enjoy Constructive Critisism and i think i am in need of it right now._**

**_I need a quick favor if any of you guys are interested. I need someone to beta chapter 1-4 and then 10-12. These chapters were never beta-read and when i look back over them, i think that they need it. If anyone would like to give me some help, review me or PM me and i will get back to you as quickly as possible. I have been super busy, so it has been impossible to go over them and also write more chapter for the story._**

**_If anyone has any story plot ideas, let me know, because i am always very happy to do so, if it is reasonable anyways. :)_**

**_Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW, like i always say because it encourages me to keep the story going and smile. If I get enough reviews, i will do shout-outs next time i update, so just click the button down there. :) see you guys when i update next!_**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Wow, guys...It has been a super long time... I feel bad...really bad for not updating but I have been having some issues with the chapter. I have been staring at empty pages for weeks and I have probably redone this chapter about 12 times...(If you think I am joking...I am totally not). But I think i found something that was close to what i was thinking._**

**_But first...I would like to give a big thank you for everyone that reviewed my last chapter! _**

**_Maria, A Type Of Wallflower, Wolfsong, Leighta Greenleaf, Goldrune09, THE TRON Critc- 1, George Whetstone, don't worry about it, ciaranoelle, Static Revenge, Since 1984, Fujisawa Loser, Jdragonfire29, CopperMinted, TronLuva7, EddieC135, townsean, townsean, Miss Taylor, Lemon Turkey, Tron Critic, Nix4real, Mighty Lion, ILovePie930._**

That was one of my highest reviewed chapters you guys, and i thank you for it greatly!

**_Now to the story...I am going to tell you guys now so there will be no confusion. This takes place two months since she has been on earth, about a month since the last chapter. I didn't want to gap it that much but it was the only thing that got me through...Oh! And...There is a LOT of FLUFF in this chapter! So get ready to drown in this chapter! :)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

Sam POV

I opened my eyes and yawned as my eyes squinted to the bright sunlight that was filtering past the curtains to our room. I stretched my arms and legs and then turned on my side so I could face the beautiful woman that lay beside me. But…she wasn't there, she wasn't in the room at all. The covers were thrown to the bottom of the bed slightly telling me that she was already up.

I yawned once more and blinked my eyes, undoing the covers from around me and then getting out of bed and pulling on a random t-shirt out of one of the drawers in the room. I walked towards the deck glass door to my room and peered out, not finding Quorra out there either. I sighed and padded towards the door that led to the main area and pushed open the slightly closed door.

I could hear water running in the her bathroom, telling me where she was. When had she gotten up? I saw Marvin laying down in his dog bed by the couch and I smiled. He lifted his head as he saw me and he got up off of his bed and waltzed over to me, barking once and pawing at my legs. "Hey, Marv," I grumbled, my voice still groggy from sleep. I reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out a box of dog treats and gave him two before putting them back and starting to get breakfast ready.

It was now a little over two months since Quorra had arrived on earth. It was amazing how fast time seemed to pass with her now. She was adjusting so well and she was learning as much as she could. She had asked me if she could take classes so she could learn more, like college she had said, so I had enrolled her in online courses to start off with. I decided to take a few as well. I was amazed by how eager she was though, she had asked to take the hardest types of classes out there to take at once. She was taking four classes that would last a semester. She was taking a combination of science courses, another combined math class, world history, and lastly, a world literature class which she seemed really excited about. I was only going to take two though since I already had a lot on my hands as it is. I decided to complete the science and technology course that I had dropped out of at Cal. Tech and one math class that would help me with some work that I had to do at ENCOM.

I placed a skillet on the stove top and absentmindedly placed slices of bacon inside the skillet. I turned on the coffee maker and quickly put in the coffee. I heard the shower turn off in the bathroom as I poured a small glass of milk for myself and took a drink. I pulled out a box of Eggo waffles as I heard a door open and shut softly. I opened the bag and put two inside the toaster for Quorra and then opened one of the cabinets to pull out two coffee mugs. I took another sip of the milk in the glass cup and then walked into the den area and turned on the TV. The movie that we had paused last night was still on the screen and I decided to change the channel to something different. I settled on one of the sports channels, somewhat paying attention to what was being said as I returned to the kitchen and took the waffles out of the toaster.

As I did this, I heard the door to Quorra's bedroom open and I turned slightly to see her wearing a pair of black PINK sweatpants and a simple t-shirt with a PINK sweater over it. I smiled at her but then frowned internally as I saw the look on her face. She didn't look happy, her face was mixed between a grimace and annoyance maybe. She looked somewhat angry actually and I wanted to laugh at the expression that she made but I knew better than to do that.

We had found out that Quorra was more of a human woman than any of us ever would have believed. She got the entire package, and with that package came the awkward and slightly embarrassing conversations and semi explanations that I had to deal with. I was grateful that Lora had given me a hand and saved me from most of it all. I am not going to lie but I just don't think that I am the right person that should be explaining the way that the female body works…

Quorra faked a small smile at me as her hand absentmindedly rubbed her stomach. I sighed quietly as she walked into the kitchen and opened another cabinet, pulling out a small container of Advil. I watched as she opened another cabinet and pulled out a glass and filled it with water before opening the container placing a tablet in her mouth and then taking a drink of her water. Once she finished, she put the Advil back in the medicine cabinet and turned to lean against the counter, looking at me with an unreadable expression. "Good morning, how long have you been up?" she asked me with a small smile as her hands loosely gripped the counter behind her. "I'm sorry if I woke you, I didn't mean to," she murmured sincerely as she looked at me with apologetic eyes.

I smiled and shook my head at her. "No, you didn't," I answered as I turned off the coffee maker. "How long ago did you get up?" I asked as poured the coffee into the two mugs and then turned off the oven and than placed the cooked pieces of bacon on an empty plate that sat next to the chrome oven.

"Not too long," she said with a shrug as she crossed her arms across her chest and looked out towards the slide doors that led to the deck. "Maybe an hour and a half," she went on as her eyes floated back to mine.

"That's not too bad then," I said with a small smile as I fixed two plates. "You feeling all right?" I continued as I turned my head in her direction once quickly as I cut up the waffles on the two plates and then set them both on the bar edge of the island in the center of the kitchen.

"Mmm," she replied as I walked over to her and handed her the cup of coffee and then placing my hands on her petite hips. I smiled down at her and leaned down to press my lips against hers gently. I pulled away about four seconds later and saw her usual brilliant smile. I raised my eyebrows at her and she laughed softly, taking a sip of her coffee and then wriggling herself out of my grasp and walked over to the island. "Better now," she admitted as she turned her head to look at me briefly and giggled once more. She sat down on the bar stool and took another sip of her coffee before setting it down and picking at her food, moving it around her plate with the fork in her hand.

I grinned and went to sit in the cushioned stool next to her, drinking some of my coffee before eating a piece of the waffle. "So what do you want to do today?" I asked her as I turned to look at her as she yawned and took a bite of her waffle. It was Saturday, which meant I was off from ENCOM for three days. I was happy for the break because this week had been really stressful for me. "You feel like going out for a while?" I continued with a small smile.

"Uh…no," she stated in a soft voice as her wary eyes met my gaze. I had received the same response a month ago, thus canceling our trip up to the mountains that I had planned for her. I had been disappointed that she hadn't wanted to go but we rescheduled it for February and apparently…a better date for her.

I knew that it was all strange for her, I get it. Lora told me to be patient with her and to give her a call if either of us needed her help. I was so grateful for her being around. I mean…I guess I should have seen this coming and should have been more prepared but I knew I wouldn't be prepared for the amount of questions that she asked and the explanations that came with it. I had finally settled for a book that would answer all of her curious questions. Lora had found one and in my spare time, I had discretely slipped into Quorra's room on the bookshelf that was probably the mostly used object in her room. She had found it within a couple of hours and had sat in the lounge chair in her room and read it while I sat out in the den and watched a movie and then a football game that was on.

So she knew about it all now, from simple hormones to the mechanics of sex and reproduction. Nothing changed between us though and that surprised me. I was expecting for her to be scared off from me but when she wasn't there was a mix of relief and curiosity. I mean sure, she had been quiet for a while, like she usually was when she learned something new on a larger scale. It was her way of processing everything so she understood it one hundred percent. She took it all in maturely and calmly, realizing that it was a fact of human life, something that she wanted to fit in to and was. She was still the same around me. She understood where we stood as a couple and I think that made our relationship stronger. We were both more confident with our movements, me knowing that she was aware of what was going on, and her knowing that she was doing this right. We still cuddled, still practically every night and when we watched movies. I enjoyed not having to take it easy on her all the time now since she was aware. I could go a little bit deeper when we made out, testing the water, seeing what was too much for her to handle. I knew I still had to beware of that. She still drove me insane though, every time and I had no idea if she was aware of that or even if she was aware of what she was doing.

As time went on though, thoughts started to pop into my head, of things that I knew I shouldn't be thinking for her sake but just couldn't help it. I couldn't help but want her so much. My mind would wonder to what it would be like to feel her body underneath mine, our unified bodies writhing in ecstasy and total bliss as we slowly and gently made love to one another. But then, at times I would think that she would never want to do that deed with me. I mean, why would she? She was perfect, in ever single way possible, that was how she was made. Why would she waster her time with me? Why would someone as perfect as her want someone like me, flawed and broken. She could have practically anyone that she wanted. At times, I wondered if she knew that.

In the end though, I knew that it was up to her on whether or not she wanted to bind herself to me for the rest of her life in that way. I hoped that she wanted that because I for sure as hell did. I love her so much already and yet, every day that spark intensified no matter what. She had made all of the difference for me. I couldn't get enough this beautiful woman.

The two of us started to eat our breakfast as my thoughts continued to wonder over the last month or so since she had been here with me. I had especially remembered Christmas…

Since it was her first Christmas, it had to be special, it just had to be. I probably spoiled her rotten but I couldn't help it and it was worth it, to see her face light up each time was just a thrill to me. We had celebrated Christmas Eve with Alan and his wife, Lora and then on Christmas, we celebrated it with one another. She had proposed the idea of staying up all night and then opening presents after the sunrise and I reluctantly gave her what she wanted. I was tired and I thought she had been too after our long day. At two in the morning though, I noticed that she was fast asleep, her lips slightly parted and her head snuggled against my chest. I had sighed in somewhat relief at not having to stay up and picked up her up without jostling her too much and carrying her to my…or our room and placed her in bed. A minute later, after my head hit the pillow I was fast asleep but not too long after that, I felt something nudging into my shoulder

Quorra had met out of bed a little after sunrise and sitting in one of the chairs in the den. She insisted on having me open the first present that she picked out and after a few minutes of fussing with her, I gave in. I was taken by surprise though to find a scrapbook that she had started. She told me that it was more of a present for the both of us and that we would put add-on later but she had the first three pages done. The first page had shocked me into silence. The picture that was on the top half was of my mother and father, right before my mother passed away. I had never seen the picture before, which made me wonder where Quorra got it from but when I had asked, her simple answer was Alan and Lora. The picture on the bottom half was of Quorra and I, the very first picture that Quorra was in while she was here. It was a picture that Alan had taken of the two of us with the lake and Las Angeles city in the background, where my old home used to be. It felt like just yesterday and I couldn't believe that it had actually been two months.

One by one, we opened the presents from one another. I had got Quorra the necklace, a few sets of earrings because she had decided to get her ears pierced and absolutely loved them, some more Jules Verne books that had taken forever to get here because they were from numerous books stored from around the country and world actually, a few winter jackets, gloves, and hats, for our trip up to the mountains and since it was now winter here, an iPad because the small device seemed to amuse her, a fleece blanket that the two of us had been using very frequently, and a stuffed animal that I didn't know why I had bought but she adored. It was really amazing how the things that she liked ranged from simple to very complex, it was very interesting a new to me. I liked that about her.

Quorra had got me the already mentioned scrapbook, a new watch because she had heard me saying that I needed a new one because the wrist was messed up, season tickets for my favorite baseball team which she had confessed to getting Alan's help on, and a GPS system for the car because she told me that she was getting irritated when I said that I knew where I was going but really didn't sometimes. None of the presents really mattered to me in the end though, I mean…it was thoughtful but I would have been just as happy without the gifts.

I had been perfectly happy with her sitting in my lap as I sat in one of the chairs in the den with my arms locked around her waist, letting my hands come to a rest on both of her hips. She was so happy and I couldn't help but eat off of her happiness. That was one of the oh so many reasons why I loved her to death.

"Sam?" Quorra clear voice trilled, making me jump slightly in my bar stool and then turned to look at her. She was gazing at me with a worried and puzzled face as she held her coffee mug in both of her hands. "Were you listening?" she asked me in a soft voice as she started to stir the spoon, making the steam float up from the coffee. I grimaced and shook my head apologetically, turning my head away from her for a moment to take another bite of the unfinished waffle on my plate. I hear her sigh and I slowly turned my head back to her as she spoke once more. "What are you thinking about?" she asked with raised eyebrows and now crossed arms across her chest.

I smiled and turned my head back to my plate and then ate a slice of bacon. "Nothing," I told her simply as I grinned once more in her direction before standing from my seat and walking over to the sink, rinsing water over the plate in my hand. Once I finished, I placed it in the dishwasher along with my coffee cup a few moments later. I looked up to see Quorra staring at me with an amused smile. I laughed aloud at how adorable she looked in that moment and walked over to where she sat on the bar stool and closed the space between us. I

I kissed her warm and perfect lips for the second and hopefully not last time this morning. I heard her sigh and felt her curvy body melt against mine after a moment. I felt her lips curve into a smile against mine and I couldn't help but smile as well as I kissed her.

The kiss was passionate, meaningful, soft, and very delightful for me. I could hold this position all of my life if I had to and not complain once because this moment and all of the others that we shared, were so great.

But…as they say…all good things come to an end. Quorra pulled away from me after a handful of seconds, maybe even a minute later. She didn't stray far though, as she pulled away, she wrapped her smooth arms around my neck and started to gently caress my head with nimble fingers. She took in a deep breath and then breathed out just as quickly, leaning her head against mine. "Why do I feel like you just distracted me?" she asked in a breathy voice as she ran her lips from the corner of my own lips to the left side of my chin.

She was getting good at this, just a little too good for me to be ok with. I felt guilty really, that I had her learning things about kissing, relationships, and sex, while she could be learning other things that would help what my father had planned for her. She seemed to be starting to juggle both of them, she loved it, she liked challenges. She was always researching things. But…she was just too good at this. It was like she was seducing me, whether she was aware of it or not.

I shook my head and looked down at the ISO that was entangled around me. "No," I told her with a smile and she looked at me with blatant disbelief." You are just so…" I trailed off and shook my head, looking for the correct word. "Beautiful," I finished with a small smirk as my eyes met her dazzling blue ones once more.

I saw the faintest of blushes color her white cheeks and she smiled softly at me. "Well then," she started as her arms loosened around my neck but she kept the rhythm of her fingers moving against my scalp. "Thank you," she murmured finally as she pecked me on the lips once.

I chuckled softly and unwrapped my arms from around her waist and moved them to my neck, slowly and carefully unwinding her arms from around me. I brought one of her hands up to my lips and kissed the back of it before releasing it, achieving a giggle from Quorra. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go take a shower," I told her with a smile and she nodded her at me.

I broke away completely from her with a sigh and walked into my room and started fumbling through the many drawers, picking out articles of clothing at random. I walked into the bathroom a minute later and turned on the shower faucet that immediately started streaming warm water. I shut the door behind me ,enclosing myself into the large bathroom and started to dispose of my clothes and once I finished undressing, placed them in the hamper on the far wall.

I showered for a while and then got out and redressed into my new outfit after drying off. I ran my fingers through my damp hair and then after a few seconds, went through it with a comb that was lying on the counter top.

After a few minutes, I opened the door and exited the steamy bathroom and walked back into the room that Quorra and I now shared. I went over to the messy bed and made it and then walked into my closet to pick out a t-shirt. I pulled the clothing over my head and then turned off the light and walked back out to the main area.

I spotted Quorra sitting out on the deck, sitting in one of the longer lounge chairs with a book in her hand and sunglasses covering her eyes. I walked out quieted and she looked up at me almost immediately with a smile plastered on her face. She was reading one of the Jules Verne books again. She absolutely loved them and if she kept reading them at this pace, I was going to have to find her some more within the next month or two. I think she was on her fifth book right now, she had finished one yesterday and it looked like she hadn't gotten very far in the book so far.

I sat down in one of the longer lounge chairs beside her ands stretched my legs out along the chair. She lifted her sunglasses and set them on the glass table and smiled brilliantly at me again. "Can we read together today?" she asked with a hopeful smile, her eyes and lips pouting at me.

We had started reading together a few days ago, reading the famous play of Romeo and Juliet. She still hadn't finished it and hadn't really gotten that far so she insisted that she start over and we read it together. After a few minutes of begging, well…really only one and a half, I gave in.

We would read aloud to one another, Quorra liked it that way, she said that she liked hearing me talk as I read. So we would switch every page or so.

"Sure," I murmured after a second and I couldn't help but laugh as she squealed and shut the book she was currently reading, hopping off of her seat and quickly going into her room to grab our book. Five seconds later, she reappeared from her room with the play in her arms. I repositioned myself and opened my arms, welcoming her into my embrace. She skipped over to me and placed herself in my lap gently, moving herself so the both of us were comfortable. I wound my arms around her and pulled her body closer to min. She responded by leaning against me with her head resting in the crook of my neck.

This was how we read together, it would always involve some form of cuddling and snuggling with her. She loved it though and so did I. Whether we were on the couch in the den, a chair, outside, or even in bed, we would always choose a position close to this one. Neither of us seemed to mind and as we started to read together, we made it more frequent. I liked reading with her, I liked hearing her voice as it flowed flawlessly over the words. Maybe it was just the time that I got to spend with her, just her and no one else, no interruptions.

I kissed the top of her head and pulled the book from her arms. We were almost halfway through the book and Quorra was now starting to realize what it meant when they said 'Tragedy'. It was adorable, the faces that she made and the realizations that came to her randomly. I thought it was interesting to see how she was so absorbed into the story, how her knowledge evolved by just reading a novel. It really was amazing to me.

"Can I start, Sam? You got to read the first prologue and now I want to read this one," she murmured as she opened the book to the page that held our bookmark in place.

"Sure," I answered with a small laugh. After a handful of seconds, her clear voice started to weave through the old English words, sounding like a perfect melody to me. I could listen to her talk for hours, listen to how her voice would rise and fall with the way that she perceived everything in the story. It was amusing really, and if she would let me, I would let her read the entire book aloud to me.

I had already read this book before, probably three times actually, so I knew how the story was going to end and how everything was playing out before we got there but it was still cute to see her eyes widen or face change as the plot transformed in front of us.

At one point, I had suggested that we watch the movie together but I got scolded by her. She told me that I should always read the book first before going to watch the movie. Thank god she didn't know that there were books to the Narnia series or the Lovely Bones.

My attention turned back to Quorra as she finished with reading two pages and then I started to read. We decided, that every two pages that we would switch off, unless of course, Quorra wanted to continued reading for a little longer. Of course I didn't mind then.

We were right before the oh so famous balcony scene that most American chicks were obsessed with and very popularly known but I was not to fond of. I never did like that one scene in particular, maybe because it seemed a little cheesy?

But as I read, I realized that I was barely paying attention to the words on the page. My mind started to wonder to the ISO that was sitting neatly in my lap, surrounded around my arms. One of her hands held the book as the other was rubbing patterns on my stomach and chest, whether she was doing it intentionally or not.

It was insane with how fast I had fallen for this ISO, this beautiful and perfect woman that was wrapped in my arms. I had never really dated, or at least knew that I wanted to be with a single person for a long time until now. I couldn't believe that she had made this much of a difference in my life within this short period of time. She had changed me completely.

I felt her hand run through my hair and once I finished reading, I snuck a glance at her. Her eyes were far away, thinking, absorbing, she looked at peace. Her eyes floated to mine slowly and she smiled up at me before resting her eyes on the book and continuing with the balcony that I had just started but I wasn't really listening.

At times, I felt guilty, completely and utterly guilty for the way I had Quorra living this life. I knew it wasn't the way that my father had intended it to be and I couldn't help but wonder if somewhere, wherever my father was, he was mad at me for being so selfish with her. I knew that she was made for bigger and better things but I didn't know what and I didn't want to giver her up. I don't think that, even after only two months with her around, that I could live without her. I couldn't think about it and to me, in my mind, it wasn't a possibility.

And other times, like now, I was happy to be with her, so utterly happy that it could have been impossible. She was like nothing, no one that I had ever encountered before. I enjoyed every day, every hour, right down to each second that I spent with her. She was like my own personal drug. I enjoyed everything in the purest of ways. I enjoyed going to sleep each night with her by my side, with her body entangled with mine in intimate but pure ways at the same time. I woke up every morning with a smile on my face, knowing that she was by my side. I could feel her, feel her warm and soft form wrapped against mine.

I was in love with her, or at least pretty damn close if I am wrong.

I looked down at her and watched her in amusement as she continued to read. I tightened my arms around her and slid her closer and once she was close enough for me, I rested my lips against her ear and exhaled, tickling her ear gently. "I love you," I breathed against her ea as I moved my lips so I could gently kiss the space behind her ear.

Her words started to trail off and after a few seconds her voice came to a complete stop as she slowly turned her head towards me. "Sam…" she started as she shook her head softly before sighing softly. She smiled at me as she moved her hand so it was resting over mine.

"I do," I told her softly as I pecked her lips softly. "I rarely say it to you, and I don't say it enough," I went on as I placed the bookmark on the page and shut the book, taking it from her hand and setting it on the glass table. "I love you so…" I paused as I picked at a strand of hair and ran my fingers along it until the strand ended. "…So much," I told her with a small grin starting to show on my face.

She smiled and I could see her eyes brighten with unshed tears. "I love you too," she murmured back to me as she kissed my cheek softly before settling back into my lap once more. "You know, it is so strange to hear that," she told me as she looked up at my face. "I mean, you are the first person to ever tell me that…and really truly mean it," she went on. "I hope…" she added uncertainly.

I chuckled softly and kissed her once more. "Then I should consider myself the luckiest man alive," I told her with a grin. That achieved a giggle out of her and I laughed as well.

"I like the way it sounds when you say it," she admitted with a shy smile.

"Well then I will just have to say it more often. How about that?" I asked her with raised eyebrows.

She smiled broadly and nodded her head eagerly. "That sounds great," she said happily.

And with that, I pressed my against hers.

**_SO? Fluffy right? This is probably the fluffiest chapters yet. I thought that they deserved it and you guys deserved it since i disappeared off the face of the earth for forever. :)_**

**_Anyways, I have been thinking about the story...on how far i plan on taking it and there are a lot of ways this could go. I thought it might get your imput on it. But i am not giving anything away! What would you guys think to having this story be the start of a Trilogy or maybe even a Saga? This is just a thought so tell me what you think about that. :)_**

**_As Always,,, PLZ REVIEW! Tell me what you would like to see in the story! What you would like to see more of, what you would like to see less of? Any ideas? Some constructive Critisism? LET ME KNOW PLEASE. I have already started on the next chapter to make sure I don't delay again...So, the faster you get reviews in the fster I will update the story!_**

**_Bye for now and please don't forget to review! :)_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_OhMiGosh! Hey guys! Sorry once again for the sluggish update but I just finished track, it was supposed to end earlier but I made the cut for State and had to practice a little longer before i competed. So yea, that is over now, ended the season with an awesome finish and now I just have to worry about one more week of school. Great...finals. But yes, I will try my very hardest to work on chapter 15 because I keep getting Pm's saying that I don't update enough. Trust me, ppl, i am trying my very best right now and i would do fast updates but i want this story to be awesome for you guys!_**

**_Thanks to everyone that reviewed my last chapter! You guys are the ppl that make me want to keep on writing this story! A special shout-out to THE TRON critic...well...because you asked for it and I don't like to disappoint my readers ever. So thanks Mathew for sitting down and taking the time to read my story off of ur e-reader. :). Appreciate the constructive critisism and little put-ins every once in a while...so yea! THX TONS_**

**_All right, ppl, enough of me just talking, let's get to the new chapter. I hope you love it!_**

I'm Not Going Anywhere

Quorra POV

His lips were warm, soft, and careful as they locked with my own in the most delightful of ways, sending my mind and body into a seemingly overwhelming frenzy. The simple touch of his lips against mine spread warmth throughout my body. His lips caressed mine in the most delicate of manners, working his lips skillfully against mine in a way that made my body shiver and my mind focus on him and nothing else.

If someone were to tell me that there was no way that a single person could influence and make you feel this way, I would have believed them until I met Sam, the son of Flynn. I had never imagined that anyone would ever have this much of an influence on me like he did. I would have never thought that a person would become the world that I practically revolved around and depended on, needed, and wanted in my life until Sam came along. I had no idea that I would ever love him this much!

Those reasons were partially why we were locked in our deep, sensual, and very enjoyable kiss right now. It had been a rough day at ENCOM today and we had just got home about fifteen minutes ago. In reality, we were supposed to be preparing dinner because Alan and Lora were coming over, but that easily slipped our minds. We were in the kitchen at least, so I suppose that this was a start.

I sighed breathily against Sam's parted lips and he responded by knotting his fingers through my silky black hair that was now slowly inching to the length of my shoulders. I was leaning against the marble counter, where Sam had decided to pin me up against right before his lips had met with mine. The gesture had taken me by surprise but I was thrilled nonetheless from the heat and feelings that were swarming through my body. Sam's hands were hooked around my waist, gripping my hips almost tightly as he held my body against his. My arms had wondered away from his neck within the first few moments of his kisses to grip the counter behind me for the support that I very much needed.

I wondered briefly if Sam knew how he made my emotions stir so freely, it was amazing and every time I seemed to enjoy it even more. My thoughts were wiped away as I felt Sam's tongue trace the outline of my searching lips, causing a spark of electricity to scorch heavenly down my spine. He had started this a couple of days ago, French kissing as he had called it when I asked for a name, he was very fond of this kiss in particular and I slowly got used to the feeling of his warm tongue tracing the form of my mouth and dancing with my own tongue. I had to admit, it was strange at first, but it felt…more passionate, and it made me feel like we were more connected to one another. The kiss felt special.

A warm moisture spread between my legs and I gasped deafly in surprise at the feelings that arose inside me. The feeling was so new to me but not entirely unfamiliar. I tried to figure it out the last time and only time it had happened to me before but had come up short of an answer. It confused me really, and it made me more hesitant for some reason.

But the only reason then and now that I didn't break away from Sam and cut the deep lingering kiss short, was the emotions, excitement, and enjoyment that came after. It was an amazing feeling and I didn't want it to disappear. It was interesting though, it was like my body acted on whatever instincts I had then. It was almost like I was in my own world.

My knees shook as his tongue reached past my lips and twined with my tongue and then started to explore the rest of my mouth eagerly. My body swayed again and this time I think that Sam noticed it because his arms tightened around me briefly to lift me on top of the counter.

My eyes opened briefly to see him looking at me with concern and worry in his eyes, masked slightly by the intensity and desire that they held but I saw it. His eyes displayed a message for me though, that only I could read since I knew how he did things. He was eyeing me, his blue orbs asking the same question as he had three nights ago.

_Do you want me to stop? _He was eyeing me carefully, cautiously wondering if he had overstepped the boundaries that he thought he had with me but I had no idea about. He studied my face, searching for something briefly before I stopped him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and shook my head at him but when he pressed his lips back to mine, the intensity and passion that our kiss once held was gone, like he had decided himself that he had tested the waters for long enough with me for today, that he had gone far enough. Our parted lips danced in perfect harmony for a few more moments before he pulled away from and smiled as he took in a deep breath. "I love you," he murmured in a quiet voice that brought a smile on my face despite my slightly erotic breathing. His hand moved to the small of my back and he started to caress perfect circles along the covered skin of my back. He kissed me once more as I parted my lips to speak, squeezing me in a soft hug as he did so.

I loved it when he told me that he loved me. It made my instincts grow and know that I wanted this, that we wanted this more than anything in the world. Those words made me know that I was making the right decisions and know most importantly that I loved him too, so much.. I ran my fingers through his short blond hair and smiled softly at him as I kissed him on the cheek quickly. "I love you too," I replied fervently as my eyes locked with his once more.

"That's good," he answered as he grinned and wrapped my legs around his midsection, hoisting me up into his arms and starting to walk out of the kitchen. I giggled quietly and rested my head on his shoulder, letting my breath run across the smooth skin of his neck. He opened the door to my room and turned on the lights before smirking down at me again.

The next thing I knew I was airborne and then landing on the large bed with a small squeak. I repositioned myself so I was lying on my side and facing Sam with a smile. He laughed in response and ran his fingers through my hair before backing away. "You need to get ready. We've had enough distractions for one day," he said with an impish smile before backing towards the door. "You said that you wanted to change so you get ready while I start dinner, ok?" he asked me as his hand gripped the handle to the door.

I nodded in response and after a few seconds, he was gone from my sight, shutting the door behind him with an almost silent click. Once he was gone, I sighed a deep and staggering breath, curling into myself on the bed that was never used.

My breathing finally slowed to its normal pace after a minute or two and I ran my fingers through my hair as my other hand reached for my lower stomach, rubbing small circles over it absentmindedly. Our relationship was becoming increasingly more physical, I knew that much, and I welcomed it whether Sam liked my decision or not.

Sam believed that I was making the wrong decision, he told me one night while we were sitting out on the deck watching the moon. He said that I could do much better than him and that he ultimately didn't deserve me. I didn't understand this for many reason and once I realized what he had proposed we dove into a three hour conversation about how he was wrong. In the end though, I won, finally justifying my point and reassuring him that I wasn't going anywhere unless he wanted me to by crawling into his lap and wrapping my legs against his hips and pressing my lips to his. I think that I calmed his fears that night, letting him know that he was doing the right thing with me even though he didn't completely think so..

I sighed once more and pulled the teddy bear that Sam got me for Christmas, pulling it to my chest and running my fingers through the soft artificial fur on it. I knew this was right, it felt right and there was no way that it couldn't be, right?

It was almost three months now since we had been marked as together and our relationship was successfully moving along at an easy and enjoyable pace. Tomorrow was our three month anniversary and the day that we leave for our trip up to the mountains that we had planned a while ago. I liked the way things were going between us and I hoped that Sam did too. I was happy and so was he from what I could see. I was more than comfortable with him, like being around him was a second nature to me.

I knew where things were ultimately heading though as our bond strengthened and intensified as the days, weeks, and then slowly, months went by. But for some reason I wasn't phased by it. I didn't really care all too much about how fast we were taking this, and that bothered Sam, I could tell by the look on his face that it did.

We had never really talked about sex. The most we had ever grazed on the subject was when we reached the point when we realized that I was fully human. Other then that, nothing, I didn't really think that it was needed and I think that Sam was trying to avoid the subject. I wondered if-

"Quorra?" Sam's voice jolted me back into reality as the door opened, making me jump slightly at the sudden noise. He frowned at me as he realized that I was still lying in the same spot that he had left me. "Is everything all right?" he asked with raised eyebrows as he walked inside the room and took a seat at the edge of the bed. "Did you hear me? I called your name three times and knocked."

"Umm…yes," I stammered with a small nod as I sat up and continued to hug the bear to my chest as I looked over at him.

"You sure?" he asked as I watched him bite his lip and look out the window to my room, watching the slow descend of the sun. I was going to watch the sunset tonight. It had been almost an entire week since I had seen it or the sunrise since it had been raining all week.

"Yes," I assured him with a smile in his direction as he turned his head back so his blue eyes locked with mine. "Just thinking about some things," I answered with a shrug as I let go of the bear and set it back on the pillow that it had been resting on before.

"Aren't you always?" he stated with a dry and almost humorless laugh as he turned his head towards the window once again. That was a sign that meant something was on his mind, that something was bothering him.

The smile slowly faded from my face as I angled myself so my entire body was facing him. I heard him sigh and he looked into the mirror, meeting my gaze there. "I went too far that time, didn't I?" he asked me softly as he ran shaky fingers through his hair.

My eyes widened slightly at him. So he had been thinking over the same things as me just a few moments ago. I scooted over towards him so I was behind, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head against his shoulder. "No, of course not," I murmured to him. "Why would you think that you did?" I asked him.

"You looked…" he paused as he made a face and laughed dryly. "A little scared or unsure maybe," he said. "It's just…you know that you can tell me to stop, right?" he asked me softly as he glanced at me with dim eyes.

"I wasn't and yes, I know that, Sam," I told him with a small smile.

"Don't be afraid to tell me to stop either," he stated as he looked down at me meaningfully, knowing that I would do something like that.

"I'm not, I get to learn more about this stuff. It is a good learning experience whether you think so or not," I said with a small laugh as I nuzzled the side of my head against his neck.

"Learning experience," he scoffed as he shook his head at me. "I don't think that teaching your girlfriend different kisses is really accepted as a learning experience," he teased me as he rolled his eyes playfully at me. "But you're not-?"

"Oh, shut up, Sam, I am fine," I promised him as I shoved at his shoulder in an attempt to grab his lingering attention.

"Are you sure?" he pressed as I felt his body start to relax underneath my head.

I couldn't help but smile and bite back a laugh at his over protective persistency. "I'm very sure, Sam Flynn," I informed him with a cheeky grin as I looked in the mirror to see our faces cheek to cheek against one another. "I wanted that as much as you did," I said to him with a smile as I turned to kiss his cheek quickly. "Maybe even more," I put in with a small laugh, watching as the small grin appeared onto his face again.

"I doubt that, Q, highly doubt that," he said with a throaty chuckle. I smiled as I felt his body relax at my little distraction. "Now, as for you," he started as he turned to face me and pecked me on the lips gently before unwrapping my arms from around him and standing. "Either stay in that or put on something else if you want. If I keep dealing with you, the apartment might end up in flames," he teased with a smirk as I stood as well and started going through half full drawers of clothes. The other clothes were in my suitcase or in the closet, or in the washing room, most likely in my suitcase since we had packed for our trip yesterday.

Sam left the room for a second time and I changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a black sweater that clung to my skin. I fingered the necklace that remained on my neck that Sam had bought me and that I had grown very close to. Lastly, I put on a pair of sterling silver small hoop earrings to go with the outfit.

I walked out of my room a minute later and met Sam in the kitchen, starting to help him with multiple things. "Hmm…I always see you wearing that necklace," he murmured as he stirred around the pasta in the pot with boiling water in it. "You must like it a lot," he stated with a bright smile.

"Yes, I do. It's very nice. It was the perfect present," I said with a smile as I took out four plates, bowls, and glass cups out of the cabinets.

He laughed softly but then paused. "You don't sleep with it on though, right?" he asked with a measured laugh, sounding a little anxious with the question.

I shrugged at him. "I used to but I don't anymore because one night I had woken up and it was choking me, I guess. So, no, I don't wear it when I sleep anymore," I answered. "It would have been nice for you to tell me that the necklace could choke you in your sleep though," I went on as I started to set the table.

Sam looked at me, exasperated. "I thought you would have known that," he stated with a shake of his head. "What am I going to do with you?" he went on and this time, I could hear the hints of a laugh in his voice. "Right when I think you are getting the hang of a normal human life, you turn around and do something like that," he said heavily with one more shake of his head.

I rolled my eyes at him and then we both shared our laughter. We stopped as we heard a few knocks on the door. Marvin got up from his dog bed and ran over to the door, barking and pawing at the door. Sam and I were thankful for the soundproof walls because we were pretty sure that if they could hear Marvin's barking, they would complain. "I got it," I told him as I set everything down and went to get the door. Marvin backed away from the door and waited expectantly for the door to open to see who the visitors were.

I opened the door and welcomed in Alan and Lora, who were both holding something in their hands. "Hi, Lora, Alan," I said with a smile as I shut the door behind them. "How are you?" I asked genuinely as I watched Alan set an almost flat box on the table in the den area as Lora set down her bag and belongings by the door.

Lora turned and engulfed me in a warm hug. "We are doing great, dear. How are you?" she answered as he pulled me back and looked at me for a moment before smiling widely. "Your hair has gotten a lot longer, has it really been that long since I have seen you?" she said with a laugh as she released and wondered over to Sam.

We had seen both Alan and Lora about a month ago, maybe even less. They liked spending time with us and every time I saw the both of them, they were eager to teach me something new. Alan was almost like Flynn to me, a mentor figure whom I knew I could rely on no matter what the situation was. He couldn't replace Flynn fully though, I knew that much even though I did look up to him. Lora was just as special to me as Alan was, she was like a mentor to me too except she wasn't as pushy about testing me as Alan was. I guess she was more like a motherly figure to me than anything, stepping in for me when Sam either wouldn't or couldn't explain logistics to me. She taught me simpler things and a lot of the times, more exciting things. I enjoyed her company along with Alan's.

"I hope that you are up for spaghetti and meatballs. I think that it is the best that we can do since neither of us are master chefs," Sam joked as he embraced Lora and finished preparing the pasta, pouring out the hot water and then setting it on a cooler as I filled to glasses of water and gave them to Alan and Lora.

Sam walked into the den and sat into the seat across from Alan, which he had just settled into as Alan looked over at me. "Quorra, would you like to play a game?" he asked me with a smile.

I nodded my head eagerly. "Yes, I like games," I said with a laugh as I walked into the den and took a seat closest to Sam on the couch diagonal to him.

Alan reached for the box that rested on the table in front of us as Lora took a seat next to me. "Have you ever heard of the game, Chess?" he asked me as he pulled out a clear glass board with small squares that were two different colors along the board. He then started to pull out many pieces and started to set them out on the board.

"Yes, I have heard of it but I have never played the game before. Flynn didn't have that game in the hideaway home on the Grid," I explained as he continued to set up the pieces. I picked up the sheet of paper in the box that was the directions to the game, reading over it carefully as Alan explained it to me.

This was another reason why Alan reminded me of Flynn. He liked to explain things to me and see how I comprehended everything when I was first learning it. He like to see how my mind worked and the ways that I learned about these many things on earth. He said that it was very interesting how I understood things at the beginning and then was able to add onto what I learned just by thought. But that was how my brain worked all the time. I guess it was one function that would remain stored inside me even though I was human though.

That was a reassurance to me though, that even though I was human, I was still the same as I used to be. I was still, deep down, an ISO.

Alan finished explaining the key points of the game and then smiled over at me as I set down the small booklet of instructions. "So, would you like to give it a shot?" he asked, knowing that I would of course. I loved challenges, they all knew that.

"Yes," I said as I moved to a stand and shifted towards where Sam sat so I was facing Alan with the board between us.

"Would you like to sit here?" Sam asked as he started to stand but I shook my head and sat with my back against the cushioned white chair he was sitting in. I could feel his eyes on me and I looked up at him to see him gazing at me with amusement in his sparkly blue eyes.

My eyes scanned over the board after Alan motioned for me to go and after a handful of seconds I made my first move, Alan moving in suit. "You know, this game is kind of like Go, except there are less spaces and pieces and the objective is a little different," I stated after I moved for the third time, looking up at Sam as I did so.

"Yeah, I guess you are right, but I think I prefer chess. Go is a little much for me," Sam said with a small laugh and I laughed as well. Sam didn't like Go very much. I always beat him or he forfeited after hours had gone by. He said that the game just wasn't his forte. He said that he was more into video games and the simpler board games, promising me to show me some of them eventually.

"Ah, Go, I haven't played that game in a long time. Kevin did like the game," Alan said as he moved a piece and I smiled in triumph, double jumping two of his pieces.

Sam got up and checked on something in the kitchen before coming back to take his seat. Lora and him started to talk quietly about the trip that we were going on, making sure that we had everything that we needed, and making sure that they had everything they needed for when they took Marvin home with them tonight. Marvin couldn't stay here while Sam and I were gone for four days so Alan and Lora gladly volunteered to watched over him while we were away.

As they talked though, I could feel their eyes on me, switching from Alan to me as the game was played, me widening the lead as time went on. Alan was watching me too in amazement and amusement at how quickly I caught on to his tricks and the ones that I had of my own.

After a minute or two, the game finished and I smiled brightly as Alan laughed. "Wow, good job, Q," he said with a proud smile as I held his captured kind between two of my fingers. "I'll get you one day, kiddo," he said with a laugh as he stood.

"You probably will," I told him with a grin. As much as I loved to play and win mind boggling games, there were times when I lost.

I stood as well and then I felt Sam stand at my side. "So dinner is ready, are you guys ready to eat?" he asked as his hand feathered against my waist. The three of us nodded as we made out way to the set table…

After we finished eating dinner, Sam and I loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen. Sam asked Alan and Lora if they wanted a beer and Alan said yes while Lora asked for champagne. I took champagne as well, starting to get used to the bitter sweet taste of it. Sam liked to drink a bottle of beer or maybe even a shot every once in a while and I started to try this alcohol thing out. It wasn't too bad once I got used to it, the headaches that I got at first were no longer after I became more accustomed to it. I would have something maybe once a week, sometimes less but barely ever more. It made me feel different and I wasn't too fond of that, not being in complete and stable control of myself at all times.

I walked out to the deck with my filled champagne glass and set it on one of the tables as I sat in one of the recline chairs. Alan and Sam stayed in the den, talking about a sports game and then the things that he would miss while being away from ENCOM. Lora, on the other hand, came outside, shutting the slide door behind her after a quiet but heard murmured instruction from Sam that I was aware of. She walked out and sat in one of the chairs as I looked through the glass at Sam. His eyes met with mine for the briefest of moments and he smiled sheepishly at me before turning to look back at Alan. I frowned but turned back to face the sky, watching the sunrise starting to unfold before my eyes.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes as I watched the sunrise peacefully. After it ended though, Lora spoke gently. "It's pretty, isn't it?" she asked quietly as she ran her fingers over her clear glass. "Sam said that the sunrise and sunset are probably your favorite things about this world," she said with a smile in my direction.

"They probably are," I said with a soft smile as I looked out at the now darkening sky. "They never change, or what I mean I guess, is that it is always a for sure thing to happen. And there are so many colors! I think it's amazing," I said with a sigh.

I heard her answering stifle of a laugh as I heard the ice swirl around in her drink. "He really loves you, you know that?" she said in a quiet voice and before I could respond she went on. "I have never seen him this crazy about any girl ever," she said with a smile.

I smiled but sighed softly. "But…he thinks that…" I paused as I ran my fingers through my hair and then took a sip of my champagne. "That he's not good enough, that I could do better. I just…don't understand," I said as my voice ended in a whisper. "Is it me?

Lora sighed and shook her head slightly. "It's not you, sweetheart, trust me, I know him. He's afraid. All throughout his life, everyone that he really loved, were gone before he was out of his teens. He doesn't want it to happen again, he fears it," she told me and I frowned at her words. "He just doesn't want you to disappear like the rest of his family."

"I'm not going anywhere, he should know that. There is really nowhere for me to go," I said with a confused frown.

"He knows that too he just has too really think about it to know for sure and he hasn't yet. He doesn't really mean it, he is just worried is all, my dear," she told me in a promising voice.

"He worries too much," I murmured stubbornly as I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance.

"That may be so but he only does because he really loves and cares about you," she stated as she looked over at me. "And I think that you need that watchful eye close by. He's trying to keep you out of harms way," she went on. "Because not everyone has the best intentions in store for someone like you and he knows that."

I sighed again but dropped the conversation, thinking over what she had just told me. I looked behind my chair to see Sam and Alan talking in the den. I could hear their muffled voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. After a few seconds, Sam's gaze met mine and I jumped slightly, turning back in my seat.

I stood then and walked over to the ledge, resting my arms on the thick glass railing. A few moments later, the door slid open as Alan came out and sat next to Lora. Sam came out onto the deck about a minute later with a half full beer bottle in his hand. He walked up to me and stood next to me, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek discretely. I smiled up at him as he took my hand…

Alan and Lora didn't stay much longer and when they left, taking Marvin with them, Sam and I finished cleaning up which didn't take all too long. It was around nine now and I walked into my room to change into my pajamas and then walked to my bathroom to brush my teeth. After a few minutes, I walked into the main area to see only a few lights still on, letting me know that Sam had gone into the bedroom. The door was wide open so I walked in to find Sam sitting in the center of the bed, clicking through channels and then movie listings that we could watch.

I pulled myself on the bed and sat next to Sam, smiling widely. "Sam ,can we watch that Twilight movie? I finished reading the book yesterday and I really want to see it now," I told him as I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my chin on them.

"You finished that book already? Didn't we just get you the set just four days ago?" he asked as he started to search for the movie that I requested with a small frown.

"Yes and yes," I answered. "It was a very good book and that was the first book that I have read that is actually from this time period so it seems. You should try reading it, I think you would love it too," I said with a large smile as he found the movie on the TV and set the remote down.

"No thanks, I am not that into those kind of stories," he told me with a laugh as he got off the bed and turned on the overhead light. I fell back into the center of the bed as he walked into the closet and then went to go wash his face and brush his teeth in the bathroom.

He came back a few seconds later and sat beside me on the bed, hitting the play button on the DVR. He looked down at me and smiled, not noticing my eyes slowly wondering over his bare upper half. "Do you have everything packed for tomorrow?" he asked me as he scooted back so he was sitting in front of his pillow.

I followed his actions and started to undo the covers. "Yes, everything is in the suitcase, sitting at the foot of my bed," I told him with a grin.

"Good, good," he murmured as he lifted his hands behind his neck and unclasped the chain to the small necklace that held the chip that he always wore.

It was the closest thing that he had to his father now, I knew that and I understood that. I knew that there was nothing that could stand between him and that necklace. I was glad he had it, glad that it made him happy each morning that he woke up and put it on, knowing that he had been right about his father the entire time.

Sam watched me as I looked at the small chip that was attached to the silver chain. He took the chain from around his neck and held it out in front of him, towards me. I reached for it and smiled gently up at him, taking it from his hands and looking down at the small chip. There were many tiny designs on the chip, indentions of sorts that were printed on it.

"You still miss it, don't you?" he whispered as I felt arms secure themselves around my waist and then hoist me up so I was no sitting perfectly in Sam's lap.

"A little," I said as my eyes remained on the tiny object. "Ok, maybe a little more than a little but still yes all the same," I admitted as I looked up at him briefly. "But…I don't think that will ever change. It was still my home," I told him with a weary smile.

My eyes flickered to the TV screen for a moment, forgetting that I had even requested the movie that was playing at the moment. I felt Sam's head rest over mine. "Do you ever wish you could go back?" he asked and I could hear the hint of anxiety and uncertainty in his question.

"I mean…sure, I would want to go back," I told him as I felt his arms tighten around me in the slightest of ways. "But…I would want to stay here," I added as I tilted my head up so I could face him. "So, I could stay with you."

Sam laughed softly and I felt his hands run through my hair at a steady pace. "Good, because I want you to stay here too," he said warmly as he pressed his lips to my temple. I sighed softly as I leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body melt mine.

After a few minutes of silence, Sam reached his hand out and u placed the necklace in his hand so he could place it on the small dresser. He then shifted and then fell back against the bed with me still locked in his embrace.

I rolled off of him and rested at his side. His body moved around mine like it normally did, curling around my body and then draping his arm over the side of my body so his hand rested against my lower stomach. I yawned sleepily and reached for the covers, pulling them around me and Sam and then snuggling back into place. I rested my hand above Sam's, letting it travel with his as he slowly caressed my skin with his warm hand.

My eyes remained focused on the movie for about an hour and a half before my sleepiness started to double with each gentle caress and within no time, I found myself dozing off into the peaceful darkness of my slumber…

**_Aww cute, riiiight? I had to put in another fluffy chapter because i never really could before a certain point in the story and because i need to move the plot along. Sorry for skipping over another month, i won't do it again, i promise but i felt like i had to. i have written 14 chapters and am only at 3 months. That would make this story very long if i kept that up._**

**_Also, someone brought to my attention that i need a well proportioned antagonist of the story and i think i may try that out if not this part of the trilogy and/or saga or the next story. Have any ideas? Think it should be dillinger Jr.? Think it should be someone else? A mystery maybe? anyways, just thoughts so plz tell me what you think!_**

**_PLZ REVIEW because that makes me want to update quicker when i get great feedback! LUv all of my readers!_**

**_Doing SHOUT-OUTS nxt chapter so maybe that will motivate you guys! Maybe...? No...? Ok whatevs._**

**_Bye_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Hey, guys, sorry about the large gap of no writing. I had a bad case of writers block. So here's the next chapter...idk what to think about it. Enjoy_**

Quorra POV

"And this white stuff? It's really cold. If I am describing it right, it should be snow, yes?" I asked as I bent down and scooped up a chunk of cold and pure white flurries that were clumped together amongst the earth, creating a beautiful white scene in front of me that I had never seen before. My bare hands could feel the very cold and somewhat wet substance as I moved it from hand to hand.

"Yes, Quorra, that is called snow," Sam answered from where he stood about ten feet away from me, zipping up his jacket. We had arrived in the mountains late last night and the car ride had made me tired so we had crashed once we had unpacked all of our things into the rented cabin for the extended weekend. Today was my first day that I really got to explore this new atmosphere.

"And why is there snow here and not where we live in Los Angeles?" I asked as I dropped the snow, letting it fall back to the earth because my hands were starting to feel cold in a strange way and my fingers were turning a little pink. "Is it because of the temperature? Or the climate change and altitude? I think Flynn taught me about how the weather was different around the world, or maybe I read it in a book…" I rambled as I kicked my feet in the snow, watching as the snow dispersed. "But we are still in the same state, at least I think we are. I saw the word California just before we got off the highway," I continued on as I still stared at the snow covered earth.

"Umm…" he pondered for a moment like he hadn't been paying attention to what I was saying or that I was asking too much information from him at once. "We are a lot farther north than we were in Los Angeles, so the temperature, altitude, and climate has changed because of how far away we are from home," he murmured as he leaned up against the tree that he was standing next to. "And yes, we are still in the same state, except this state is a lot taller than other states. It necessarily doesn't matter if you are in the same state because everything is different, I guess," he added as he scratched his head and frowned. "Hmm…was that it? You asked a lot of questions there," he stated with a small smile as he looked off towards the small river up ahead.

"Uh, yes," I replied with a small smile before a frown appeared on my face. "I'm sorry," I told him. He was right, I did ask a lot of questions but I didn't know who else to ask them to.

"It's fine, I know you don't mean to and anyways, it really gets my mind going to try and find answers to all of those questions," he chuckled as he turned to look at me. "Why aren't your gloves on?" he asked me as he noticed my bare hands resting at my sides. "They are to keep your hands warm but if you don't wear them, they will be ineffective," he said with a grin and an easy laugh as I stood once more and reached into my coat pocket for the gloves that Sam had bought me, putting them on.

"I wanted to feel the snow!" I told him with a happy smile. "But I do see why one would want to have gloves on when holding snow in their hands, it is very cold," I told him with a bright smile as I walked over to his side. "How deep is the snow here? Even with my boots in, my feet go in quite deep," I said as I looked down to see my shoes being engulfed with the pretty snow.

"Maybe a foot and a few inches but I am pretty sure that in some places here that it is well over two feet," he told me. "I guess it depends on where you are and we have only been getting flurries today," he added. I walked around the tree that he was leaning on a few times, listening to the crunch of the snow underneath my feet. I liked the sound of it.

I gasped as my eyes rested on a tree branch. "Sam, what are those?" I asked as I ran over to the tree and got a closer view of the clear pointy things that were hanging from the tree branch. I ran my finger along the many little things as I waited for Sam's response.

"Oh, those, they are called icicles . It is water that has been dripping from the tree that was originally snow and freezes, turning into that," he told me from where he remained. "You will find that a lot here, they are probably on most of the trees around us, Q," he informed me as I looked around and saw that he was right.

"Oh, you are right!" I squealed happily as I looked closely to see all of the many icicles around me. I let my eyes move back to the branch in front of me and moved my hand that was covered by the glove across the icicles carefully so they wouldn't break. They looked very fragile. "Hey, Sam, why do-" my question was cut off as something cold and wet hit the back of my neck and upper back. I turned my head and looked downwards to see snow on my back. As I examined the white mess, I heard Sam's snickering laugh, making my eyes turn towards him. "Why are you laughing?" I asked him dumbfounded as I started to brush the snow off of me, partly glaring at him. As I looked at him, I noticed a ball of compacted snow in his right hand and I easily put the pieces together. "You threw that at me?" I asked him with a frown only to receive another laugh and a nod from him. "Why did you do that?" I asked him, my voice sounding hurt as I looked at him with saddened eyes. Why would he throw something at me?

His laughter stopped and he looked at me with a small grimace, his face showing obvious disapproval. "Don't tell me you have never heard of a snow ball fight before?" he alleged in an almost shocked tone. My confused face must have sunk in because he started to explain. "I used to do this all the time when I was little, it is an almost fun gesture I guess you could say. It is playful, not something that should make you upset," he explained as he measured my expression.

I nodded in confirmation, letting him know that I somewhat understood. "So…I can throw a snowball at you and you won't get mad at me?" I asked him with wide and almost eager eyes at this new game that I discovered.

"Well…" he trailed off as he scratched his head and made an almost sarcastic face. "Um…I guess, yea, if you want to," he murmured with a small laugh as he smiled at me. He grinned then and lifted his hand, throwing the second snowball at me. My quick eyes followed it and I easily caught in my hands with a small laugh, throwing it back at him, hitting him in the chest.

"Like that?" I asked him as I looked over at him curiously as he laughed and started to scrape the snow off of his jacket. His laugh echoed around us as he nodded at me, bending down and scooping up snow in his hands. I copied his movements, bending down and scooping snow in my hands that were covered by my warm gloves. I watched carefully as he maneuvered his hands around the snow and ended up with an almost well rounded snowball. I tried what he did, frowning the first time as the ball of snow fell apart in the last moment, and then a second time, finding better luck. I smiled in triumph as I held my first snowball in my hand. "Oh!" I squeaked happily as I looked down at the cold and white ball of snow.

I turned my head as I heard Sam's soft laughter. "What is so funny?" I asked him as my eyes fell away from the snowball in my hands to look at Sam's bright blue ones. He was smiling down at me from where he stood, now about a yard away from me.

"You are," he said simply as if it were obvious. "You are so amused with that little snowball. You're like a little kid," he said with a smirk in my direction. "It's cute though," he mumbled after a few seconds of silence as he laughed once more at me.

"I'm not a kid," I murmured with a small pout. "I'm….uh…twenty four and if I am correct, that is qualifying as an adult, right? I think from my observations of the little users-" I paused as I realized that I made the same mistake that I made a lot. I was technically a user now. "Little humans…or um children, that a little kid would be ranging from around four to maybe ten, am I right?" I asked him with a scowl. "So I do not qualify as being a little kid."

He laughed again, a louder and more uncontrolled laugh. "That's not what I meant but yes, in a way, you are right. That was just a phrase, Quorra. Remember, everything isn't taken totally seriously," he reminded me softly. "So all I was merely saying is that you are fascinated by simpler things, like that. But that is what makes you so interesting, that's what makes you…you," he stated with another grin in my direction

"Oh, ok," I said with a simple nod of my head then I lifted my arm and threw the snowball in his direction with a giggle. He hadn't been paying attention all of the way so it hit him on the side of his arm.

"Hey!" he complained teasingly. "What was that for?" he asked me in a voice that sounded like he was mimicking me.

"For calling me a little kid!" I shouted back at him with a large smile as I ran past him and bent to grab more snow. I heard his laughter as he followed behind me and I moved out of the way in time for the snowball he threw at me to be dodged. I stuck my tongue out at him and threw another ball of snow at him, internally frowning as he stepped out of the way but smiled once more as the second one hit him square in the face. He threw another at me and it hit me in the stomach. I brushed away the snow and threw another at him, watching as he dodged it and the snowball hit a nearby tree, sticking to it for a brief moment before falling to the snow stricken earth.

My attention was moved though when I saw something in the corner of my eye move. I turned my head, not caring that Sam had just hit the side of my face with snow, looking out towards the large river now ahead of us. "A bear!" I said excitedly as I looked out over the river to the other river bank to see a small black bear roaming over the snowy terrain. "Sam, look!" I said excitedly as I pointed at the animal. Sam dropped the two snowballs that he was about to launch at me and walked over to me, looking out past the little trees and over the river, seeing it as well. "I thought bears only lived at the zoos, like the ones that we saw," I murmured to him.

He smiled. "No, they live almost anywhere really, only ones that have been captured or taken out of their homes go to the zoos," he told me.

"And why isn't it hibernating? I thought that is what bears did during the winter," I murmured as I looked at it curiously.

"Well, technically yes but sometimes they wake up early, maybe that one did as well. It isn't uncommon to see a bear at this time of year because they start to come out around now…I think," he went on as he scratched his head. I nodded at his answer. It made sense.

My smile widened as an idea formed in my head. I started quickly through the snow, towards the river, wanting to get closer to the small bear. "What are you doing?" Sam asked, his voice rising an octave or two from either anxiety or the distance between us, I didn't know which.

My steps were halted as I received a firm tug on the hood on the back of my jacket, stopping me from going any further. I turned around to look at Sam to see him looking at me with a half horrified and confused face. "I want to pet it," I told him with a roll of my eyes. "Do you think we could keep it as a pet?" I asked as I looked out over the river once again at the bear that was now walking away from the river and back into the trees.

"That is a wild animal, Quorra, not like Marvin. Sorry to disappoint you but if you got to close to it, it would either run away or attack you," he stated and I frowned in disappointment. "You couldn't even pet the animals at the zoo, what makes you think that the rules would change at a national park?" he asked me with a smug look on his face. He had a point there, I suppose. "And anyways, that bear would not fit in our apartment or like Marvin for that matter," he said with a small laugh.

Sam took my hand and laced my fingers with his as I pulled him to the side of the river. I looked down into the clear but shallow water and saw that it was empty. "Why are there no fish in this river?" I asked him curiously. My eyes looked out over the river, watching the ripples and little ridges to see if I would see a spark of life but found nothing, just water…and a lot of rocks.

This water is probably too cold for fish to live in and it doesn't look quite deep enough either but maybe there are fish during the summer," he told me with a shrug. "Q, it's starting to get dark out, I think we should be heading back," he said as he looked up at the sky. I looked up as well, slightly disappointed that clouds were covering the sky, just like this morning, not letting me watch the sunrise and now, the sunset.

I nodded and we turned around and started to head up the trail that led to our cabin. "Will I get to see the sunrise while we are here?" I asked him as I swung our interlinked hands back and forth as our feet crunched through the snow in unison. "You said that it really was a sight to see and I am really excited for it. I will see it tomorrow, right?" I asked him as I kicked snow in front of me.

"I hope so," he murmured honestly. "We weren't expecting for a snow storm to come through the night that we got here. But we have three more days and Alan said that Sunday and Monday look like the best days that you will get to see you sunrise and sunset. So don't you worry," Sam promised me as we started up the stone steps to the pretty cottage.

I watched my step as we walked up the stairs to the deck, remembering that there was ice on it. I had slipped and crashed down a few of the steps, the whole 'ice thing' being so new to me. I feel hard on my butt though and that hadn't been very pleasant. It kind of hurt actually.

Sam fished the key out of his back pocket and put it in the lock, opening the door and ushering the two of us in. he shut the door and took his jacket off, walking over to the closet and putting it away until we went out again. I did the same and then pulled my hat, gloves, and scarf off, finally sitting down on the couch to take my boots off. My feet were still somewhat cold even though I was wearing the boots and I was thinking that it might have been from being so deep in the snow. I pulled them off and then put them away, starting to walk towards the stairs. "I'm going to change," I told him softly as he started to make his way towards the kitchen.

"All right, would you like some hot chocolate?" he asked. "Or coffee?" he added as he turned to look at me. I liked hot chocolate better than coffee now. I liked the chocolate taste and I also loved that I could put the fluffy white marshmallows in it as well. Coffee was more of a morning thing for me now, like a quick breakfast when we were in a rush to get to ENCOM.

"Hot chocolate please," I murmured with a smile in his direction before turning and starting up the stairs. I walked into the master bedroom and shut the door behind me softly as I turned the lights on. I also turned on the switch for the artificial fire that was inside the fire place so the room would warm up some more. I walked over to my suitcase and started to go through it, looking for my pajamas and a pair of socks to put on. Once I found what I was looking for, I slid out of my current clothes and pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants and a dark blue v-neck t-shirt. I put my other clothes away and then sat down on the edge of the bed to pull my socks over my feet.

Once I finished, I fell back against the bed and sighed breathlessly, grabbing the blanket that we had brought along with us and wrapped it around me. Today had been fun even though I didn't get to see the sunrise or the sunset. Also, I was happy because Sam was happy. He was stress free ever since we had been up here. I think that he was glad to have time off of work for a little while. I knew that he was stressed from it and I helped him as much as I could..

A light tapping noise interrupted my thoughts then. "Quorra," I heard Sam's voice from the other side of the door. "Are you decent?" he asked me.

"Yes, Sam," I murmured from where I lay on the bed and watched as he walked in with two mugs in his hands. He shut the door back once more and sat next to me on the large bed, offering me a mug. I smiled and sat up, taking the mug out of his right hand as he took a sip out of the other. "Thank you," I told him sincerely then took a sip of the warm drink in my hands. I sighed after a handful of seconds, bringing the drink from my lips.

"You are welcome," he replied as he moved to grab the remote to the TV that was mounted in front of us. I stirred my drink with the spoon a few times before bringing it to my lips and taking another quick sip. Sam set the remote down after turning the volume down so it was barely audible and had it on some movie that he must have been familiar with but I wasn't. "I hope you had a nice time today," he told me as he stood and started to rummage through his suitcase, looking for clothes to change into after our long day out. I scooted towards the center of the bed and set the mug of hot chocolate on one of the side tables, then lying down in the middle of it.

"Yes, I did," I murmured as he smiled at me briefly before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. I waited for a minute, letting my fingers run though my soft black hair absentmindedly as I curled into the blanket a little more. The door reopened a few minutes later to reveal Sam, now clad in his usual attire when he went to sleep, although this time, he was wearing a white t-shirt as well. He smiled apologetically at me and nodded for me to continue.

I turned on my side to look at him though and grinned happily. "Thank you for bringing me here," I told him softly as he put his worn clothes away. "I really appreciate it," I went on as he came to sit next to me on the bed.

"I knew you would love it and how are you going to learn about the world in Los Angeles?" he asked with a wry chuckle. "It is very fun so far but honestly speaking," he paused as he looked down at me with a tired expression. "You have worn me out," he admitted with a wary smile towards me.

"I'm a little tired as well," I admitted to him. "but I think it was worth it. I really liked going into the skyline where we were in the clouds. That was so cool! I never knew that it was possible to go that high other than airplanes, jets, and those space things," I told him with wide eyes.

I watched as he took another sip of his hot chocolate and then set it on the side table next to mine. He came to lie down next to me on the bed, lying his head against the comforter just like me. He looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before turning his head to look at me with a large smile. "We should do something like this more often, it is fun to explore again," he murmured somewhat to himself. "And it seems to relax us both which is a good thing," he added with a grin.

"But where will you take me next?" I asked him with curious eyes. "Will it be cold like here or warmer? Will we go to a mountain or-" Sam pressed a finger to my moving lips to silence me quickly. He seemed to think for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"I know where we will go but…" he trailed off as he grinned wickedly at me. "I'm not telling you, I think I will surprise you again," he stated as his eyes met with mine for a brief second as he waiting for my response.

I pouted at him. "That's not fair, you kept it from me this time. I think it is only fair that you tell me where you are taking me," I told him with a large sigh. "What if I don't want to go?" I asked him with a smirk. We both knew that was a lie, I was curious about everything on this earth.

"Yeah," he joked with a laugh. "But if somehow you really don't like it…too bad," he said with a shrug and a laugh as he turned on his side to face me fully. I offered him some of the blanket and I moved in closer to him once he took it. His arm wrapped around me, pressing into my back and stilling after a moment. "But I think you would like it, maybe we can go next month," he murmured softly.

"That sounds nice," I replied as I looked into his blue eyes. I rested my hand against his cheek softly as I breathed out gently. I smiled at him lightly before closing my eyes and pressing my lips against his gently. I felt Sam's hand wrap around my back tighter as he accepted my kiss and joined in, kissing me back with just as much or maybe even more passion as I held. My hand moved from his cheek to his hair, gripping at it softly as I deepened the kiss slowly, easing my way into it like I usually did and he let me do.

Sometimes, I had to admit, that this new form to display affection for me still took me by surprise. At times, I didn't fully understand the depth of a kiss until I experienced it myself with Sam. I liked this new art especially since Sam was the one who was technically teaching me it. I liked how there were no really rules to a kiss, only steps that were different from person to person, making the kiss individual I guess you could say. It was so foreign to me yet so familiar that it was almost strange but very perfect, always perfect.

After a minute or our deep a lingering kiss, Sam looped his other arm around me and pulled me on top of him without breaking contact. My breath heightened momentarily at the quickness but I calmed as I fell against him. His hands moved down my body, stopping at my legs to fix them against his sides instead of merely resting on top of him. I knew that it was crucial to do this but I forgot last time just like I did now and I suppose that it was something that I should remember.

Sam settled his hand sat my hips finally, pulling me closer to him as he started to kiss me harder, rougher, and I slowly started to work my lips with his as time went on. I felt him take a small breath through his nose and I did the same because I realized that I was running out of air and the kiss was starting to become uncomfortable.

His tongue slipped past my lips, making me sigh softly as our tongues started to move in harmony with one another. A moan escaped my lips unexpectedly as he bit down softly on my lips after pulling his tongue back.

I was taken by surprise though when I felt something hit up against my groin area. It took a few seconds for me to realize what it was but I couldn't help the surprised squeak that sounded from me. That caught Sam's attention, I knew it did because he pulled my lips from his and studied my face as I studied his own. There were so many emotions running across his face that it was hard to understand. He looked scared, passionate, anxious, unsure, and so much more. I had no idea what my face portrayed so I spoke to him instead. "Why did you stop?" was all I could ask him as my breath caught in my throat.

"I'm sorry," he blurted with a grimace. "I didn't…mean…" he trailed off as he brought his arms to lift me off of him but I stopped him.

"Why are you sorry?" I murmured softly. "Everything's fine," I reassured as I ran my fingers through his hair comfortingly. I could feel my heart racing and I took another deep breath to calm my erotic breathing as well.

"You look…scared," Sam mumbled sheepishly as his eyes met mine finally. I smiled softly at him once more before moving my head to rest against the crook of his neck.

"I wasn't and I'm fine," I told him softly as I felt my breathing start to regulate again and my heart beat started to slow. "I've just…never…felt that…before," I mumbled as I felt my cheeks blush slightly at my somewhat blunt comment. "I was just surprised is all," I promised him after a moment of silence had filled the room. I heard Sam's answering laugh that was hesitant and a little nervous as he rubbed my back. I knew that we were done for the night now, I could tell that by how Sam held his body, stiff and tense and I sighed softly, breathing into his neck, taking in his very familiar scent. I knew that he was thinking now from the way that the silence dragged on and how his hand rubbed over my back methodically. It was a comfortable silence though and it let my mind start to wonder as well.

I liked the way things were going with Sam. He was happy and comfortable and so was I, it was as simple as that. I trusted him completely but the problem was…he didn't trust himself with me for some reason, I knew that much. It was like he was afraid he would mess something up or hurt me or something along those lines that I knew were highly unlikely for someone like him. I would do whatever he wanted practically in a heartbeat and that made him uneasy, unsure, and to my utmost displeasure, too careful, like I was a glass vase and if he did the wrong thing I would break or something. I didn't understand it but I knew that was where all of this came from.

Honestly, I didn't mind taking that large next step that most human girls nervously anticipated. It sounded intriguing and I wanted to know what it was like, what it felt like, everything. And most of all, I wondered what it would be like and feel like with Sam. If he could make me feel so amazing from just a kiss, how would I feel when that happens. I was very curious about that topic still after all of the readings that I had gone through. That was another physical process that I had never heard of before and completely oblivious too and I wanted to experience it.

But I knew that we were very far from that.

I rolled off of Sam after a minute, stopping to rest at his side. I couldn't help it though as my eyes roamed shamefully over his clothed body, noting everything that I saw. I could feel Sam's eyes on me as I did this but that didn't make me pull my gaze away from him, I was too curious.

Sam's hand moved to my chin then, pulling my face up so he could look at me. He looked like himself again, that same boyish grin dominating his face when he was comfortable, serene, and mostly happy. He placed his lips against mine softly before pulling away and running his hand over my cheek. After a moment he pulled away from me altogether and got off the bed and picked up his mug that he had set down earlier. "Are you done with yours?" he asked me. "Cause I can take it downstairs if you want," he told me.

I sat up and nodded my head. "Sure." I smiled at him as he picked up my mug as well and left the room with a nod of his head. I sighed and hopped off of the bed and walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and brush through my hair. Sam was back in the room when I finished, turning off the overhead light as I turned off the bathroom lights.

I got into bed and pulled the covers around me before lying down and Sam followed my movements a few seconds later. "What are we going to do tomorrow?" I asked him with a curious grin.

"I'm not sure yet. How about we find out tomorrow?" he hedged with a small grin as he opened his arms slightly, offering his embrace like he sometimes did. I accepted and let him pull me to him so I could rest my head underneath his chin.

"Ok, but…can we go skiing? I saw a sign for it and I would really like to try it," I told him with a hint of excitement in his voice. I didn't get an answer and I frowned. "Sam?" I asked softly, almost timidly.

"Mmm…sure, sure," he mumbled and that was when I realized that he was already dozing off. He was tired, I knew he was. He had let me do whatever I wanted today which included, a five mile trail, going to the mountains summit by foot, heading to a museum so I could find out some things about this place, and a few other things.

Honestly, I was kind of tired too but I was too eager to learn and explore to notice how tired I really was. That finally hit me and I felt myself easily zoning out just like Sam just had.

**_Alirght, so? I don't think i did so great on this chapter but i kind of stopped caring when i was still staring at my computer screen at 3 in the morning. I am starting to loose hope in this story honestly and if i don't get the plots straigtened out within a little while, i might take a break from the story for a bit. But of course, Tell me what you think because your reviews and support keep me going! I am going to try and aim for a chapter for maybe a week from now and i hope i will keep that promise this time :) Also, check out my newish story if you haven't yet. Just The Two Of Us, it is an M rated story so the people that have been bothering me to have an M story, can that do for you fro now until i get my act together? I hope so! :)_**

**_IMPORTANT: I was skimming through some of the Tron stories and finally found one that i rather like a lot. It is called "The Cell" by Nakoon and I absolutely love it! Please go check it out for me and the author because i think that story is awesome! It is a little different than my story but the writing is perfect and the style is amazing! So GO CHECK IT OUT AND MAKE SURE TO REVIEW FOR THEM because everyone loves a good review!_**

**_Just like me! I love reviews as always and was a little disappointed to see the few reviews that I got last chapter! Please review my story! Ideas, cc, anything! Thanks guys!_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**OMG? What is this? Is this an update?**_

_**YES! YES IT IS! WHOOO!**_

_**Alright, now that I got that out...I can make my ammends. Dont kill me ok? Junior year of high school is just so tough right now, im preparing for SATand ACT and now the Graduation tests as well as narrowing down colleges and everything. And i know that i promised this chapter about three months ago...but hey, i did it now :) Yea i know...lame excuse...anyways...**_

_**SO! About the chapter! I had to do a little research so I got it all right and here we are now. So please do enjoy it guys!**_

Sam POV

"Stop it, Sam, get that thing away from me and stop bothering me. I'm tired," she snapped in a cranky but soft voice as she turned her head slowly into the pillow. I heard her mumble something but whatever she said, I didn't catch it.

"Quorra, stop being a baby. Please? I just need to take your temperature," I said with a tired sigh. We had been at this for about five minutes. Quorra did not like the thermometer, at all. She complained that it made her gag and said that it tasted like medal.

She had come down with a fever yesterday. We had only found this out when she had complained of feeling dizzy and had gone to sleep very early. I would have taken her to the doctor yesterday but it was Sunday and her doctor was closed on Sunday's. I ended up calling Alan and Lora. They told me that if it got too high, for me to take her to the Emergency Room.

I had only taken her temperature once though, and it had read 102` F. I decided to let it slide and I promised myself to take her temperature in the morning, which was now.

Even though her face was buried in the pillow, I heard her answer loud and clear. "No, Sam Flynn."

I couldn't help but smile. "Wow, now you are just one cranky little lady when you are sick. I'll remember to pack my bags and go on a vacation next time," I said with a laugh. "But hey, you got yourself into this. I told you not to take your shoes off in the snow, didn't I? I don't know about you, but that sounds like a warning to me," I continued.

She turned around and I scanned her rosy cheeks and somewhat sweaty face. Her eyes were dazed and I could see her body shaking ever so slightly when I really paid attention to it. "I'm sorry," she mumbled to me in a soft whisper as she lifted her hand and took the thermometer from me and slid it under her tongue as I held the other part, watching the numbers slowly rise. I lifted my hand to replace hers and held the thermometer still.

She looked horrible and I knew that she was feeling it too. The room itself had that slight sick taint to it. She had not eaten since noon yesterday. She just refused to. She said that she wasn't in the mood for eating. She was layered in clothes for once and I had to force her to get out of two layers because I knew there was a fine line on bundling up when you had a fever.

I looked back at her once more to see her eyes closed and see her chest rising and falling in a staggering pattern as her hard breathing faltered out.

The beeping of the thermometer in my hands made my thoughts come back to me, and her eyes open slightly. I read the screen in my hand and became more alert, my eyebrows rising in surprise and worry. "That cant be right,"i mumbled as I tried to reassure myself in a soft voice as my eyes moved to hers. I reached my hand out to her forehead like I had earlier this morning.

Sam?" she muttered as her cloudy eyes looked up at me. "What's wrong?" she asked me softly.

"Nothing….nothing, I probably just didn't do it right," I mumbled as I restarted the readings and moved the thermometer again so it was directly under Quorra's tongue.

My heart started to race slightly as the numbers started to rise once more. She didn't look that sick and she was very responsive, just a second ago she was snapping at me.

The thermometer beeped again and I looked down at it once more, hoping for a different reading.

105.6` F.

"That can't be possible," I said, standing and rushing over to grab my cell phone, dialing the first number that came to mind when it came to Quorra.

Alan.

I dialed the number and listened to it ring, hoping that he would pick up.

"Hello?" It was Lora.

"Lora, where is Alan. I need to talk to him," I said, trying to make my voice sound calm. I turned to look at Quorra. Her body was curled slightly, as if she was hugging her knees under the covers.

"He is in the kitchen. What's wrong?" she asked, her voice sounded concerned. She knew why I was calling. "Is Quorra doing all right?" she asked me.

"Lora, is it possible to have 105.6 fever?" I asked. "Because I don't think it is, and she doesn't even look like she is that sick," i said. I was probably overthinking it but Quorra just didnt look like she had that high of a fever, but there the signs were.

I heard Lora relaying what I said. She had probably gotten Alan by now and they were now discussing it. "Sam." It was Alan this time. "Are you sure that is what it said?" he asked, his voice sounded serious and worried.

"Yes, I checked it twice, and the second time I took it, it was higher," I stated. "Maybe it's because she is different. Maybe she responds to being sick differently," I started rambling out random things, trying to make sense of this.

"She isn't that different than us, you know that, Sam," Alan said calmly. "You need to take her to the Emergency Room. Her temperature is too high for you to be waiting in a doctor's office on an appointment."

"And what if they notice something different about her?" I asked as I started moving around the room, changing shirts quickly and then walking into the closet to change into some pants.

"Unless there is something we don't know, they shouldn't. Her blood working is normal," he reassured me. "We can always come by if there is any trouble, just give us a call if you want us to," he told me.

I nodded my head but remembered that I was on the phone. "Alright, Alan. Thanks," I said and then hung up the phone and came back into the bedroom and up to Quorra's side of the bed. "Come on, we have to go somewhere," I told her.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked as I shifted the covers and she slowly started to move. She slowly halted to a stop though and started to recline once more.

"No, no, we don't have time for you to rest," I told her as I grabbed her shoulders and sat her up gently. She gave me a teary glare and I decided to just pick her up, my arms wrapping around her waist and knees quickly but gently so I wouldn't jostle her.

She let out a small cry as I lifted her up and I rested her head on my shoulder as I slowly walked her to her room. "We need to get you into one layer of clothes," I mumbled. They were probably going to get her out of all of the layers there so doing that now would be more efficient.

She shook her head at me. "No, I'm cold," she whispered and let out a huff. We stared at each other for a moment and I sighed as I realized that she wasn't going to cave.

So that left it to me. I brought my hands to the bottom of her torso where her long sleeved shirt rested and tugged upward, pulling the shirt over her head.

"Sam, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice slightly spiked in curiosity as I continued to dishcloth her upper half.

"I'm doing what you won't," I told her. "I'm doing this for your own good, Quorra," I told her softly as I took another shirt off and then another. I finally reached her camisole and left that there. I rested her back against her made bed and started undoing her pants, letting them drop to the floor. She didn't have as many layers on her legs thankfully. I took off a pair of cotton shorts to reveal her underwear.

At this point, any guy would marvel at their half dressed girlfriend laying down in bed, but my mind was far from that. I rummaged through her drawers, looking for a pair of jeans or sweatpants and a warm shirt. I finally found them and came back to her. Putting on the sweatpants and then the warm shirt. I tossed her a warm jacket as I went into her closet and got a pair of boots for her, putting them on her as she drowsily put on her jacket.

"Now I would carry you to the car…but I think that we would get too many looks. You think you can walk to the car?" I asked as I looped my arm around her waist and hoisted her up so she stood.

"Of course," she said, trying to sound stronger but it didn't fool me. I grabbed her bag just in case we would need ID or something as well as my wallet as we walked to the door. I grabbed the keys and we slowly trudged to the elevators.

She didn't complain, or whine. Her silence all the way to the car was so different to me. She was always excited to go places, no matter the place, except today.

I got her into the passenger seat and got into the drivers seat, starting the car and backing out of the parking space.

The drive to the hospital was long, especially since I hadn't been here in such a long time. I was rarely sick, and never sick enough to need immediate medical help.

But here we were, pulling up into the front of the hospital. That is when Quorra spoke up finally. "No, Sam, no," she whispered as she looked out the window, her lips forming a frown as I looked over.

She knew what was about to happen, whether she had been here before or not. All of the TV shows and articles that she had seen about a hospital had given that away. I sighed. "Quorra, I'm sorry but you have to. You have no idea how sick you are right now and there is just no other choice right now," I told her.

She didn't respond, just made a sniffing noise at me. I turned the car off and helped her out of the car as well. I was thankful that it was warmer today than usual for a winter day, it meant that Quorra wouldn't suffer more than she already was.

We walked into the main entrance of the hospital and moved to the elevator. I hit the button for the second floor, which was the Emergency Room entrance. When the doors opened, I was relieved to see that this hall was practically empty. The elevator opened up to the lobby and a lady at the front desk peered at us. The lady looked at Quorra, taking her in, and a moment later she was on her feet. We stepped out of the elevator as the lady called for someone's help.

I helped Quorra into a seat and went to get a clipboard so I could start filling out the information. As I did this, a nurse came to us and took out a thermometer and turned to me, starting to ask me questions.

Maybe it was the fact that it was a slow day here, or maybe the hospital had too much staff on duty, but I had never remembered them coming to me in a waiting room before. I was really relieved by it though.

"How long has she been sick?" the lady asked me as she stuck the thermometer under Quorra's tongue.

"Since yesterday," I answered as I continued to fill out the form. I watched in the corner of my eyes as the thermometer beeped. Her eyes clouded in confusion.

She looked over at me once more. "What was her last temperature? And when was it taken last?" she drilled me with the questions and for a moment I was unable to respond by the sound of the woman's voice.

"105.6` over an hour ago," I told her as I peaked at the thermometer that now read no such number. Her temperature had risen once more, nearing 106.

The woman disappeared again without a word and as I finished the paperwork a minute later, she was back with a wheelchair and a doctor by her side.

I knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Sam." Quorra's voice was slightly panicked as she looked at the two people. I knew this must have been strange for her.

"It's ok, they are here to help you. They are going to see what's wrong with you, ok?" I said. I saw her nod feebly with a sigh. "I won't be able to go with you for now but when they give me the ok, I will come in. You will be fine," I promised her as I saw the color drain from her face in fright.

And they did just that. The two lifted her into the wheelchair and took her away from me within seconds. And I found myself stranded in the lobby of the Emergency Room.

Time seemed to slow for me as I hopefully waited for someone to come back and tell me that she would be alright, but that never happened, not for an hour, then two, and finally three. I wondered if they had forgotten that I was here. I just watched as the lobby started to fill with people that ranged from car crashes to illnesses like Quorra.

I grew worried as time went on, worrying that she wouldn't be ok, or worrying that they had found out her secret, that she was an ISO. I didn't want anything to happen to her. I had to keep her safe, to protect her. That girl that had saved my ass so many months ago was now my life.

"Mr. Flynn."

My head popped up immediately as I heard my name and I stood as I saw the nurse that had taken Quorra back. "Is she alright?" I asked, my voice lathered with worry as I looked at the lady expectantly.

She waved a hand at me to follow her and I did. As we walked the lady filled me in on what I wanted, and needed to know. "She will be alright, just a severe case of the flu. We have managed to get her fever to drop to a 104.5` but that still isn't too good. X rays have shown us no signs of brain damage which is very good considering the fever that she had," she informed me. I let out a sigh of relief and smiled a bit, knowing that she was alright meant everything to me. We stopped at an elevator and got in. I watched as she pressed the button to level six and listened as she continued. "Dr. Kales has suggested that she stay overnight for today and possibly tomorrow. The high fever has caused some side effects to her body that he would like to monitor and-"

My worry intensified again and I found myself cutting her off immediately. "Like what?" I asked.

"Her heart rate is lower than normal as well as her blood count. The blood count is quite abnormal since she isn't on her menstrual cycle. Does she eat right?" the woman asked me as the doors opened to level four and I followed her out.

"Yes," I mumbled as I tried to keep up with what she was throwing at me.

She nodded and opened up a door to a room. "She is staying in the recovery unit for the time being. She is asleep for now," the woman said as I walked in. the woman didn't stay, she shut the door behind me. I hoped that was a good thing.

I looked down at the hospital bed and the sight disturbed me. There was a tube attached by a needle to her arm and another monitor that read her heart rate. There was something else attached to her right hand that fed some sort of liquid into her system.

My heart fell as I looked at her. She looked so small in that bed. Her face was so pale that it looked almost transparent.

I moved over to the bed and took a seat in the chair. I wondered how long she had been asleep. A few minutes? Maybe an hour or so? She probably wouldn't wake up for a while. I wondered if they had asked her questions when they first brought her back, and if she answered them or not. I knew she was scared and I knew that I would have to make up for leaving her at a time when she probably needed me most.

I lapsed into silence for a while, letting my mind wonder off as my eyes were trained on Quorra's sleeping form. Nurses would come in every once in a while to check on her and adjust some of the machines occasionally as I waited.

It seemed like hours until I heard that familiar voice that I could not mistake anywhere. "Sam," her light trill caught my attention immediately and a smile crept onto my face as I looked up to see her gazing at me. I took her left cold hand in mine and smiled at her.

"How do you feel?" I asked her gently as I stood and came over to her, brushing my fingers through her hair.

She didn't reply for a while, just rested there for a minute. She didn't really need to give an answer I suppose. She looked horrible still which most likely meant that she felt horrible too. After a while though, probably once she was more conscience, she started to speak. "What are all of these things?" she asked as she looked at the heart monitor and needles inside her skin. "They wouldn't tell me, or maybe they tried to, but I was out before I heard them," she murmured softly.

Before I got to answer her, the door opened and a doctor came in. I recognized him from earlier. "Ah, you are finally up," he said with a smile in her direction. "And you," he paused as he turned to look at me. "Must be Sam Flynn," he went on and I nodded at him. "It's nice to meet you," he said as he shook my hand.

"She is a very lucky young lady," he murmured as he came closer to Quorra and checked her eyes and then pulse rate. "I hope that one of the nurses has informed you that we will be keeping her overnight?" he asked as he took her temperature once more and wrote something down.

"Yes," I answered.

"I believe that we will release her tomorrow at noon if everything goes well overnight. She is doing quite well from having a temperature as high as she did," he went on as he continued to write on a note pad. "Your wife will be just fine."

"She's not my wife," I said in a quiet voice as I looked down at her. I wish she was. I loved her like she was, but sadly, she wasn't.

He nodded at me. "Oh, my apologies," he said as he stood and headed for the door. "A nurse will be in to check on you in about an hour."

He left without another word and I turned to look at Quorra. She had the smallest smile on her face. "What?" I asked her.

"So I'm not your wife?" she asked with a small smile. I still don't think that she understood the entire concept of marriage yet but who knows, maybe she did.

I shuffled my feet and looked out the window. "No, Quorra," was all I could answer as I turned back to look at her.

I could see the sting in her eyes as I said it but she already knew my answer. She smiled anyways. "Not even for pretend?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she yawned.

I chuckled at her attempt to try and lighten the mood. She did have some human qualities down by now. "Sure, if we are pretending, you can be my wife, Mrs. Flynn," I told her as I leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"You shouldn't do that," she told me as I pulled away a few inches to look at her. "You might get sick like me and I don't want you to get sick too," she said.

"Don't worry, Quorra, I won't get sick. I get flu shots, which, next year, we can have you get flu shots as well. I forget that your immune system is not as strong as mine and since you are older than children that have the weaker immune systems, you will have worse effects," I told her.

She wasn't listening to me though. "Do I really have to stay here though? I don't want to, Sam," she murmured. "I want to go home," she mumbled. "With you."

"Yes, you do. They are just trying to help you, Quorra,: I promised her again, like I had earlier today. "And visiting hours are from nine in the morning until ten at night today, so I will have to leave soon," I said with a sigh.

That caught her attention. "Leave soon?" she asked, her voice quivered. She instantly looked upset and her eyes started to water slightly. "No, please?" she said, her voice almost begging.

"Please, don't do that. I already feel horrible," I said as I took her hand again. "I can't stay, it's the hospital rules," I told her, trying to get her to understand. "You know I wouldn't leave you if there was another choice, and there isn't, Quorra," I said as I watched her eyes tear up even more.

I wasn't expecting this reaction from her but I guess I could understand. I don't think she had ever slept without me. Now she was being forced to sleep in a foreign place and I wouldn't even be near her.

I felt even worse as I let this sink in. "I'm sorry," I told her. I hated to upset her, I really did. I liked to give her what she wanted, because normally, her wants and needs were simple unlike her. I liked to make her happy.

"It's fine," she told me even thought the look on her face told me that it wasn't.

I kept her occupied for a while, talking about my plans to take her to Florida over the summer. She liked hearing about that. Also, I promised her that I would take the whole week off to take care of her. I knew I was just screwing myself over with those plans though. When I would come back next week, I would have a lot to do, unless an assistant started on the work that they were authorized to do.

We talked until she grew tired, which was soon. The nurse came in as well, checking Quorra's temperature and pulse. Her temperature had dropped to just below 104` now and I was much more secure about having to leave her for the night. They would take care of her for me. The nurse put another needle into Quorra's arm and I knew what that meant. It was time for her to sleep for the night so they could run the tests that they needed so she would be able to go home tomorrow.

The nurse left with a small smile in our direction and shut the door. I turned to look at Quorra, her eyes growing droopy as I watched her. "I will come first thing in the morning ok? I promise," I said as I squeezed her hand.

Her eyes were sad even though the medicine was working on her. "Ok, Sam Flynn," she said in a small voice.

I leaned over to kiss both of her cheeks, her nose, and then her forehead, letting my lips linger there. "I love you," I murmured.

She was asleep, just like that, before I got a response, but the serene smile on her face told me her reply. I smiled and leaned down to kiss her nose again and then stood, walking towards the door as I did.

I took one last look at the sleeping girl in the hospital bed and then found the guts to leave the room.

I hurried home, as fast as the speed allowed, maybe a little above that and cleaned up the apartment a bit. I changed the bedding to our bed so when Quorra came home tomorrow, the room would smell better than it had earlier today.

And finally, I got into bed and rested my head on my pillow.

I knew I may not get the best sleep in the world, because for once, everything felt out of place. She wasn't there next to me, as I was so used to these days.

But I tried to sleep, tried as hard as I could

Because I had a promise to keep.

**_Lame ending...yea i know. i needed it to end there. So sorry about that guys._**

**_Anyways, i plan on updating a lot sooner so i will do review shout outs on the next chapter. Which May be up as soon as two days from now. :) up to 6 days though just in case i have some school thing to do :)_**

**_Alright guys, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_Cheers to me being back._**

**_And i hope this chapter was alright, I amy be a bit rusty. Sorry all._**

**_See ya!_**


	17. Chapter 17

_**It's time for an update! :) Enjoy everyone!**_

"I don't need to be watched, Sam," I protested in a whining voice. "I know how to take care of and watch over myself," I insisted as I folded my arms across my chest and set a frown on my face.

"I know you can. I would just feel better if Lora came over to stay with you while I am gone for the day. Alan said that you can take another day off since you have been sick lately," he told me in a calm voice as he stirred a silver spoon around in his coffee mug.

I sighed. "All right, but I am only cooperating because you will be late if we fuss over this anymore right now," I stated as I stood and walked closer to him. "But I need to go out, to the store and get some things, the library or the bookstore to get a few books, and then that wine store to pick up the drinks for dinner on Friday," I said as I counted out the things I had to do in my head.

"All right, Lora can go with you then, is that okay?" he asked and I answered with a simple nod. "Good, and remember to wear a jacket," he told me as he walked over to the closet and pulled out my purple bubble jacket. "This one, to be precise. It's cold out today and you are still sort of getting over the flu," he reminded me as he set the jacket on the side of one of the bar chairs. "Can you do that for me?"

I laughed despite my temporary annoyance with him. "Of course, and a hat and gloves," I added with a small smile.

"There we go," he said and then he walked over to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him. "I'll be back around seven and then we can watch that movie that you've wanted to see. What was it called…?" he pondered with a smirk.

"Charlie St. Cloud," I told him as if it were obvious. I bounced on my toes in excitement before stilling and leaning in to kiss him gently. He returned the kiss immediately before I pulled away. "Now, go, before Alan yells at you for being late. You said that you would never do it again," I said with a giggle. "You aren't doing very well on that promise."

"I'm trying, I'm trying," he mumbled and then he kissed me again before pulling away. "Lora will be here in about a half hour, and take it easy, Q," he told me with a serious look. "Emergency Room visits aren't exactly fun."

"You're telling me," I stated with a roll to my eyes. "See you later, Sam."

"See you, Q," he replied as he grabbed the keys to the Ducati and left, leaving Marvin whining at the door behind him.

"Marvin," I chirped as I quickly wiped down the granite countertop and then walked over to the closet to grab his leash. "How about a walk?" I asked as I closed the door and bent down. He barked once and scampered over to me, wagging his tail happily. I hooked the leash onto his collar and put on my jacket, hat, and then gloves.

It was around 9:30. Sam didn't have to be at ENCOM until 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday's. The sun had already risen and was well in the sky when I stepped out of the apartment complex with Marvin. We walked down the complex's community park for a while as Marvin sniffed various things and did his business and I looked at the sights around me.

In the mornings, the sun seemed to be a lot brighter during the winter, but then again, I had only been here for two of the four seasons. Maybe I had just missed something during the fall. The trees, or most of them anyways, were emptied of their leaves and the air was crisper and a lot colder too. The skies were a lot clearer, I had noticed, during the winter than when it was fall. The birds were gone, well, except for some geese that I would see on occasion flying overhead in their strange patterns that apparently, according to research, meant something to them.

All in all, winter felt like a bare and empty season, cruel even. Maybe I didn't like it because this colder weather had gotten me sick, but Sam had said that I hadn't gotten sick because I hadn't taken care of myself properly to be prepared for the cold weather.

I looked down at Marvin to see why he had stopped walking for so long and I saw him sniffing, or eating grass. "Marvin," I complained as I tugged on the leash and started walking to pull him with me. "Sam doesn't like you eating grass," I mumbled as he started trotting at my side again.

It was a calm walk; I made a full circle around the park and then headed back to the apartment with Marvin following on my heels. Once I unlocked the door, Marvin ran in before me. I walked in, shut the door, and then went to unhook Marvin's leash as he drank the water in his bowl. I put away the leash and shed myself of the layers I was wearing and set them on the couch since I would be putting them back on again soon.

I sat down and watched the news for a little bit. Two men had been shot and killed the previous night and they had found the suspect a few hours ago.

I didn't really understand why people fought so much here. I didn't understand why people had to kill one another. It seemed cruel and very hateful. I had learned about war, about why some people had to fight one another. They did it for their freedom, well-being, and country's safety for the most part. Hate group acts, gang wars, and random fights however didn't make any sense to me. Why would someone intentionally try to harm another person?

When I had told Sam about this, he had told me that I would understand more of it the more that I lived here but as time went on, I still didn't understand. That's why, sometimes, I understand his worry for me because I think that everyone should be friendly and get along when in reality, they don't.

The doorbell rang and I stood as Marvin barked a few times and sat by the door, waiting for me to open it. "Shh, Marvin," I cooed as I opened up the door.

I frowned though as I saw that no one was there. I stood outside of the door and looked down the hall both ways before shrugging and closing the door again. Sam had said that sometimes, kids like to play pranks called "Ding Dong Ditch" which is when you ring the doorbell and run away so you don't get caught. I didn't understand that game but then again, I didn't grow up here.

I went into the kitchen to pour myself some orange juice when the doorbell rang again. I set down the carton of juice and walked to the door, this time peeking through the little peephole to see Lora standing outside of the door. I opened the door with a large smile. "Hi, Lora."

"Hi, Quorra dear, how are you?" she asked as I opened the door wider to welcome her in. She was greeted by Marvin instantly as I closed the door behind her.

"I'm doing great, thank you," I commented as I went back into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of orange juice. "Would you like some?" I asked as I shook the large carton. "And how are you?"

"No thanks," she murmured as she bent over to pet Marvin a few times. "And I am great too, thank you," she said warmly.

I put the carton back in the refrigerator and drank the small glass of orange juice.

"Sam said that you have some errands to run. We can leave whenever you want to," she told me as she took a seat at one of the bar chairs at the counter. "How have you been feeling?" she asked me gently.

"Fine, I don't know why everyone is so worried about me. It's over," I told her with a shrug.

She shook her head at me. "You gave us quite a scare with those fevers. Alan and I wish that we could have gone to see you but Sam said it wasn't a great idea," she commented. I gave her a questioning look and she continued on to explain herself. "When you get older, you tend to catch more colds sometimes, and that was one cold that we didn't want to catch," she said with a sad smile. "You will find out someday," she added but then stopped herself. "Or maybe not."

I laughed softly. "Yeah, it wasn't fun but it's the thought that counts," I told her in a matter-of-factly tone. She nodded at me with a genuine smile.

I put my empty glass in the dishwasher and then excused myself to my room so I could change clothes. I threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a black and blue wool sweater. I pulled on a pair of warm boots and then went into the bathroom to brush through my hair. I combed it into a ponytail, which I could do now because my hair was now successfully reaching my shoulders, actually about an inch past my shoulders.

I sprayed this sweet smelling perfume on me and then put on the necklace that Sam had gotten me for Christmas. Grabbing my purse, I shut the door to my room and walked out to the main area. "Sam left the car so we can take that one if you want," I suggested as I went to the drawer where we kept the keys. I walked over to the couch and quickly put on my jacket, hat, and gloves again.

"That would be great."

We were in the car and on the road by 12:30, first heading to the library so I could drop off the books that I had checked out about a month ago.

I drove while Lora sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window. Yes, I had my official driver's license now. Well, I've had it for a little while now but I've never driven with it since I got sick and all.

After I dropped off the books at the library and paid the fine that I didn't know that I had, Lora and I stopped by the bookstore so I could find some more books that would interest me. Lora bought herself two books that were autobiographies of someone's life while I bought three Shakespeare plays. Shakespeare really interested me and the fact that the English was different in the text was even more intriguing.

The sun started lowering in the sky as I parked the car in the parking lot of a large grocery super store. I needed to get some tissue since I had used the boxes that we had in the house and tampons.

I thought about the second grocery item with a grunt. That wasn't a very fun aspect of a human woman's life and it made no sense whatsoever. Well, it did make sense I guess, in a way, but I just didn't like it. I had to go through this for about thirty more years of my life? I really don't think so.

"You seem very capable of doing this on your own. Why did Sam need me to watch you?" Lora asked as we got back in the car and headed towards the wine store, which was about thirty minutes away.

"Sam is…Sam," I grumbled with a shrug. "I don't know, I appreciate his concern but I can handle things on my own."

"I can see that," she murmured. "But nonetheless, I like spending time with people that are younger than me, it makes me feel younger," she said with an amusing laugh.

"I don't know what the big deal is," I said honestly. "I mean, if you want to put it that way, I'm thousands and thousands of cycles old, which if you were ever there, would realize that the cycles feel the same as years. At least, that is what Flynn said, and I'm starting to notice it too," I added.

Lora laughed softly. "I guess that you have a point there, but I like spending time with you, Quorra. It's nice to feel like I have someone to take care of again," she murmured.

"What do you mean?" I asked her as I raised my eyebrows, keeping my eyes on the road in front of me.

"Our kids are all grown up now and have moved to different states. Sam never really liked being taken care of, he kind of rebelled against it all, but we tried," she murmured. "But you, you don't seem to mind, or at least you tolerate it, so I'm grateful for that," she finished with a large smile.

"It feels like I have a family again, sort of," I said as I glanced over in my direction. "I mean, Flynn felt like family, but he was only one person. Now I have more people in my life again," I went on. "Like before…" I trailed off and shook my head.

I don't think that Lora knew about the genocide that I survived but I did know that she knew that I was the last ISO. I didn't 'really feel like talking about it anyways, I was in a great mood, why ruin it?

"I need your opinion on picking out wine for the gathering on Friday. I am still not good with wines and champagnes," I told her, changing the subject as we finally pulled into the small parking lot.

"Of course," she murmured as I parked and then we both got out of the car.

Lora picked out a bottle of red wine for the gathering and I bought a few Red Wine glasses to go with it. Sam and I were hosting the gathering at our apartment so we had to be prepared.

The drive home was long, partially because people were starting to get off of work and there was a bad accident that blocked an intersection. It was nearing 5:00 and the sky was now darkening quickly.

Almost an hour later, I pulled into the parking deck and parked in a space. We both got out of the car and I grabbed the three bags while Lora grabbed her bag from the bookstore. "Would you like me to walk up with you?" Lora asked me as I closed the door and locked the car.

"No, I think I've got everything, and Sam will be home in less than an hour," I responded as we started to walk towards her car.

"Are you sure?" she asked me as we stopped in front of her car and she started to back away from it. "I can at least help you take everything up."

I smiled but shook my head at her. "No, I'll be fine, but thank you," I told her. "And thank you for spending the day with me," I added.

"All right then, when Sam gets mad at me, I'll just say that you insisted," she laughed. "Take care, Quorra," she said as she opened her car door and got in, turning on the car at once.

I walked away as she pulled out of the space and drove away with a wave in my direction. Once I got inside the apartment complex, I got into the elevator and clicked on the button to my floor. Another person was in the elevator too. They nodded at me and then walked out on the second floor.

I reached for my key as I neared the door but when I put it in the key hole; I realized that the door was already unlocked. I thought I had locked it too but I guess I had forgotten in my haste this morning.

I put the bags down and unpacked them, putting the red wine in the refrigerator, setting the glasses on the counter so they could get washed, and then putting all of my items in one of the chairs.

I heard muffled barking and I frowned. "Marvin?" I called as I took my jacket, sweater, and gloves off and moved towards the closet. I opened the door and the small dog came skidding out of the closet. "How did you get in there, buddy?" I wondered as I quickly placed my jacket on the rack and put my gloves and hat on the shelf.

Marvin ran towards my room, jumping at the door and barking furiously. "Marvin, stop it, you will upset the neighbors," I commanded but he didn't listen to me. I guess he liked listening to Sam a lot more.

I sighed and grabbed the books out of the chair and walked towards my room. I opened the door and Marvin ran in and started sniffing the carpet. I walked over to the shelf where I kept my books and then froze suddenly.

At the corner of my eye I noticed it and it made me frown immediately.

My bed was messed up.

I had never once slept in my bed so it was always made, there was never an exception to the rule unless Marvin messed it up and when he did, it never looked like this. The cover was sprawled lazily on the bed and the sheets were shoved around.

That's when I heard something, coming from the closet.

It sounded like shuffling. I located Marvin, still sniffing the floor, nowhere near my closet.

I looked carefully around the room and started noticing things. My drawers were messed up, not in like they always were, and a few clothes were dangling from the drawers or lying on the carpet. The bathroom light was on and the slide door to the balcony was wide open.

Fear engulfed me suddenly because I knew I hadn't done this and neither had Lora or Sam. Those were the only people that I knew that had been in here today. My body started to shake and I found myself searching for my phone in my purse.

I dialed Sam's number immediately and continued to cautiously look around me. As the phone rang, I started backing up slowly, backing out of the room. Something didn't feel right.

"Quorra?" Sam's voice called from the other end of the phone and the tiniest bit of relief swarmed throughout my body.

"Sam..." I started and lowered my voice as I took a few more steps backwards. "Did you happen to come back home today after you left the first time?" I asked in a shaky voice.

My eyes darted to the closet as I heard more shuffling and my heart started to speed up again.

"No, I've been here all day, why?" he asked curiously as I heard the shuffling of papers on the other end of the line.

"Sam, I know this may seem crazy but…" I trailed off as the shuffling quieted for a moment. "I think someone has been in my room," I said in the quietest of voice. Marvin whined and his ears perked. He took a few steps towards the closet but I whistled at him.

"What?" he asked me in a worried voice.

"Marv, come here," I said and was pleased when he listened to me and came to sit at my side. "I'm not kidding, Sam. I came home and the door was unlocked and the security system wasn't armed," I said, trying to calm my shaky voice. "The bed is messed up in my room, as well as the drawers, and the door to the terrace is wide opened," I continued in a whimper.

"No…" Sam started. "Please leave, Quorra, wait until I come home, I-"

"Sam," I cut him off as I heard the shuffling intensified. "I think someone is in my closet," I whispered in a voice that would have sounded like I was crying if it were any louder.

"Get out, Quorra! Get out!" Sam told me in a voice that was panicked. "Right now, please," he said in an urgent yet terrified voice.

My feet were glued to the floor and my body continued to tremble as I heard more noise come from the closet. Hangers moving, shoe boxes being tumbled over, and what sounded like footsteps on hardwood floor.

"Quorra?" Sam yelled through the phone. "Get out!"

His voice wasn't what spawned my feet into action though. It was the earsplitting noise that came through my room that jolted me into action.

A gunshot.

I screamed as Marvin whined and scampered away from my room. My feet starting run then, towards the front door to our apartment. My phone dropped in my rush and I heard it shatter as it hit the ground.

I yanked the door open and tried to whistle for Marvin but I was shaking so badly. "Marvin!" I called and he immediately ran towards me, towards the door.

I slammed the door shut and bent down to pick Marvin up as I heard two more earsplitting sounds and then cracking wood. I looked up to see two holes in the door.

Right where my head would have been.

_**O...M...G...What? I know, i know, i needed a thriller to this story, we needed something interesting to happen riiiight?**_

_**Okay, first, i NEED a beta reader, any volunteers are welcome. i have school and practice and chapters will come out uch quicker if I have a beta reader.**_

_**and two! I need to see how many fans are still out there. I know its been so longggg! But please review and tell me what you think, and anyways, you won't know what happens next till you revieww!**_

_**Until next time :)**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Yay, I finished! Anyways, i hope you enjoy :)**_

**Sam P.O.V.**

I sped up onto the sidewalk that led to the apartment complex and parked the Ducati. The scene in front of me was terrifying and did nothing to help my already racing heartbeat. I could hear sirens blaring in the distance as well as see the few flashing lights of the police cars and ambulances that were already here. Teams of people were moving about too quickly for comfort, some people yelling at one another, others trying to see what was going on, and the people that were either trying to help or stay far away from the situation at hand.

I tried to block all of that out of my head though. None of that mattered to me. Quorra mattered to me, as well as Lora. Were they alright? Were they safe?

I had wondered where Lora was on the phone. She hadn't been near Quorra while she had been talking to me and I had started to wonder if Lora was even in the apartment. I had mixed feelings about that thought. I was relieved because that meant that Lora was safe and out of the way but then I was angry and annoyed at the thought that Lora had left Quorra to face this alone.

I hopped off of my motorcycle and started my search for one of them. I wondered if they were even here. Could the unthinkable have happened to Quorra? Was there a corpse bag laying around here somewhere, waiting for someone to claim the person? Had she already been shipped away to a hospital for intensive care?

I tried to shake the thoughts out of my head because I was starting to feel utterly sick. I had wondered how long it had been since the phone call had dropped. The sky was now dark, except for the flashing lights and the city around me.

I looked towards all of the police cars and ambulances and didn't see her, only teams of people talking to each other, sitting in their cars talking on their radios, or talking to people on the sidewalk. I looked away and moved towards the front of the building but then I heard a familiar noise.

I heard a high pitched and short bark that I could recognize almost anywhere. It was Marvin.

I turned my head in the direction of the barking and relief swelled inside of me at the sight that I saw so quickly that I felt dizzy. I rushed over to the outdoors common area, towards the completely familiar feminine body and small dog that were sitting on the stone bench near the fountain. "Quorra," I called with relief lathering my voice as I moved quickly towards her.

She turned around to look behind her and then shakily stood up when she noticed that it was me. Once I reached her, I pulled her directly into my arms and didn't let go. "Sam…" she annunciated in a strained tone but I could hear the tiny bit of relief filling it.

My arms wrapped tighter around her and I felt her bury her face against my chest. "You had me so worried…" I whispered as I ran one of my hands through her hair. "I thought that…something had happened to you," I went on as I felt my voice shake. "Are you alright?" I asked as I pulled away from her and let my eyes fall around her body. I zeroed in on a pink wrap around her hand. "What's that for?"

"The…paramedic said that I fractured my wrist but that doesn't make any sense," she told me as I started to notice tears falling from her eyes. "It doesn't hurt. I never…felt anything hurt," she added as she shook her head and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. "But other than that, yes, I'm fine," she croaked out.

After that moment, she started to really cry then. "I'm scared, Sam," she wailed. "Why would someone do that? I haven't done anything wrong," she whimpered as I pulled her back into a hug. "I don't want to go back up there," she whispered to me. I could feel her body shaking and I could feel her tears running onto my neck. "Please, Sam, don't make me."

I tried to soother her by rubbing my hands against the spine of her back. "We won't, I promise. I'll have to make sleeping arrangements for the next few nights and I'll start looking at other places, okay?" I asked and I felt her nod against my chest. "Where's Lora?" I asked her, suddenly remembering that she could have been here too.

"She…she went home. I told her to, Sam," she stated as I started to notice her voice becoming stronger even though I could feel the tears still draining from her. "I knew you would be home soon," she murmured. "And see? You got here even sooner than I thought you would," she went on and she attempted to laugh but it sounded like she was crying more now. "I'm sorry, I should have listened to you this morning," she wept.

I moved my head so I could place a feathery light to kiss to her forehead. "It's alright, you're alright. That's all I care about right now," I told her softly. "That you're okay."

"Sam…I should've know that something was wrong, shouldn't I have?" she questioned in a small voice. "I should've known that there was something strange…"

"Maybe," I told her. "I can't blame you for that, though," I added. I pulled away then as I felt her body shivering against mine and a horrible cough escape her. I looked down to notice that she was only wearing a sweater, a pair of jeans, and her boots. "We need to get you out of the cold," I told her. "You don't need to get sick again."

"I can't leave," she told me as I took off my jacket and helped her put it on without a single complaint come from her. "One of the police officers…says that he needs a statement from me," she said as I zipped the jacket up and put a hat on her head.

"Where is he?" I asked in an impatient tone.

"I don't know, the two officers said that they would give me time to think everything over," she replied. "They had tried to question me earlier but I was in shock, or at least, that's what the paramedic said."

"How did Marvin get out here?" I asked her as I bent down to pick him up. He started to wag his tail and he barked twice before quieting. "And why doesn't he have on a leash? I'm surprised he hasn't run off anywhere yet," I said as I patted his head a few times.

She let her hand rub against Marvin's back as she stepped closer to me. "I did, I couldn't just leave him there, could I?" she asked me.

"What?" I asked her in a shocked tone. "Quorra, I love Marvin and all, but he knows how to take care of himself," I told her as I shook my head. "And I highly doubt that whoever was in our apartment was after him," I added as I set Marvin back down on the bench and he looked between the two of us with his big brown eyes. I pulled Quorra into my arms again and pressed my lips gently against hers. I pulled away after a few moments and continued. "They were probably after you, but why?" I asked to myself. "I don't think that this was random."

"Sam, if I hadn't made sure that Marvin had gotten out too…" she trailed off as she seemed to think about what she was going to say next. "I don't think I'd be alive right now," she told me honestly. "I think he is the only reason why I started to realize that something was wrong. He was inside the closet and then when I let him out he was barking like crazy at my door…" she mumbled as she turned her head to look at Marvin. "And if I hadn't bent down to pick him up in the hallway, I think that the last two…bullets would have hit me," she stammered along with a strange face.

"Well, then getting a dog was one of the best decisions of my life," I told her as I took her face in my hands. My facial expression turned serious as I looked into her electric blue eyes. "Please don't scare me like that ever again, Quorra," I whispered. "I promised my father that I would keep you safe and..." I trailed off as I took a deep breath. "If I lose you, it's going to destroy me," I stated as a shiver racked through my spine. "I love you too much."

She nodded softly. "I'll try."

"Gosh, you're so cold," I breathed as my fingers started to feel her cool skin.

"Well, I've been out here for a while, Sam Flynn," she said dryly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you today," I told her softly.

"That's okay."

She didn't say anything else so we just stood in silence. Quorra was wrapped comfortably in my arms while I was wrapped inside my own thoughts. She sounded like she was holding back tears again. I didn't blame her. This world was still new to her and now there was a possibility that someone was trying to kill her, as if she hadn't had enough of those issues during her time on the Grid. I hoped that wasn't the case but I knew that I had to take precautions to keep her safe. Maybe I would purchase a home that was further away from the city but still close enough for me to get to ENCOM when I needed to.

I could hear my phone ringing from inside one of the pockets to my jacket that Quorra was wearing but I didn't make a move to answer it. "Oh yeah," Quorra said in a steady voice as if she had just remembered something. "My phone is broken, like, shattered broken," she told me in a small voice.

"Well that's just great," I said in a sarcastic tone but I couldn't help but smile at how she announced it to me. She said it as if it wasn't a big deal, which when I really thought about it, it wasn't.

"Ms. Garner," someone said from behind me. I pulled away from Quorra slowly and turned around as I realized that they were addressing Quorra. "We are ready to get your statement if you are."

Quorra's face saddened then and she let out a sigh. "Do you think that she could do this another day, maybe tomorrow?" I asked the officer.

"Are you Mr. Sam Flynn?" he asked me and I answered with the simplest of nods. "I'm officer Beck," he stated as he stuck out his hand to shake mine. I leaned forward to shake his hand before stepping back and wrapping an arm around Quorra. "And I don't believe so. She was the only one in the apartment other than one of the suspects. We need to hear from her," he told me.

"There was more than one person there?" I asked him with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, from the buildings security footage, there were two people involved. We only caught the shooter because one of them had left before she had even returned to the apartment," he answered.

I shook my head in defeat. "What?" I mumbled.

"I assure you, sir. We are doing all that we can to find leads to the second intruder but we need her statement to help us do so," he specified.

"Sam," Quorra whined. "Please, tomorrow," she hesitated in a begging voice. "I just want to get out of here," she went on and I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was suddenly uncomfortable for some reason. I looked over at her worriedly and I could see the fear evident on her face.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it must be done now."

I sighed and turned to look at Quorra. "We'll leave right after you finish this," I promised her.

She didn't want to go; I could by the look that she was giving me and the officer. She did anyways though and within a minute she was gone from my sight.

I sat down on the bench and turned to Marvin. He was sitting and staring at me like he normally did. "You did well today, Marvin," I told him as I rubbed the space between his ears. "If only you could talk," I muttered. "You'd be able to tell us who was in there, right?" I asked him. He barked at me and let his tongue loll to the side of his mouth. "I thought so."

"Sam?"

I jumped as I heard someone call my name from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Alan walking towards me. He came to sit on the bench next to me and he cleared his throat.

"Is she alright?" he asked me as he pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to me.

"Fine, just short of a broken wrist," I told him as I gave a silent shake to my head from his offer. "She is talking to a few officers right now and then we'll leave," I continued.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Lora and I were worried," he said softly. "Sam, this is all over the news. You've got to pull the plug."

"How am I supposed to do that? That looks conspicuous, don't you think?" I asked in an annoyed voice. "I have enough to worry about. Let L.A. have their fun for a bit, it will die out."

Alan nodded even though I knew that he didn't agree with me. "Well, is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Can you park the Ducati in the deck garage? I'd do it myself but someone has to watch Marvin and I plan on getting Quorra out of her as soon as she's done," I said as I pulled out my keys and took the key to the Ducati off of the keychain. "I think she is coming down with something again. She has this horrible cough. It could just be from crying though," I murmured.

"Will you be coming in to ENCOM tomorrow?" he asked me.

"I don't know…" I mumbled. "This just turned my schedule upside down. I can't get into the apartment to get clothing and all that. I have to get her a new phone because hers is shattered. My gut is telling me to get her out of town for a while. Something is wrong here," I told Alan honestly. "Someone is behind this, Alan."

Alan heaved a tired sigh. "You're probably right. No one really knows her though. Her doctor, a few hospital doctors, us, the ENCOM Company, random people," he droned on as he listed people. "But no one should know that something is strange about her."

I rubbed my face with one of my hands. "They have one of them. We have to come back here tomorrow after the detectives come in. They will give us a name then," I said. "That should give us an idea on who the other person is."

"There were two of them?"

"Yeah."

"We'll figure it out, Sam," Alan reassured me. "I'm going to head off now. If you need anything, just call," he told me as he stood and started to walk away.

And once again, I was left to my thoughts, but not for long, because Quorra returned to me within the next two minutes. I stood once I saw her coming my way. "Can we go now, please?" she asked me in a small voice.

I nodded and I whistled for Marvin to follow us. "You alright?" I asked her as I looped a hand around her waist.

She just nodded at me as we started to head towards the car.

Not a word was said for a while, getting in the car, as well as the first fifteen minutes of us being in the car. Marvin was the only one making noise as he moved around in the back seat. I drove as Quorra sat unbelievably still in the passenger seat. Her breathing was normal now and she wasn't shaking as much as she had been most of the evening.

The heat was on and after a while, Quorra shed herself of the hat and jacket that I had given her earlier. "Where are you taking me, Sam?" she asked me wearily as she turned her electric blue orbs on me.

"We are going to Beverly Hills for the night but I need to get a few things since we couldn't get anything from the apartment tonight," I replied. "If you don't feel like it, I can check us into a hotel first and then go out and get everything while you-"

"No."

"Alright," I said as I turned onto a side street. "Do you still have that small duffel bag of clothes in the trunk?" I asked her gently. I had packed two changes of clothes for her when she had gone to the hospital. I had a change of clothes in a different bag in case I had stayed there for longer than I had wanted to.

"Yeah, I think so. I don't remember taking them out," she answered absentmindedly.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" I asked her again as I took my eyes off of the road for a moment to look at her. She didn't answer me this time though. "Quorra?"

"Someone is after me, aren't they?" she asked suddenly as if she had just put it all together.

"Maybe."

She sighed and then lifted up her hand that was wrapped heavily in the bright pink bandage. "This is starting to hurt now," she told me as she pointed where her palm and wrist connected. "I tripped and caught myself with this hand…but it didn't hurt then," she admitted.

"Your body isn't as strong as it was on the Grid. You're human now, or for the most part I think you are," I told her.

"I know," she murmured.

We pulled into a large super store and took about twenty minutes to grab what we needed for a couple of days before getting back into the car and driving the next ten miles to the hotel that I had looked up on the navigator.

We pulled into the Four Seasons Hotel just before 10:45 and we got out so we could check in. Quorra got her small duffel bag from the trunk and I grabbed my bag of clothes before heading in.

I checked the two of us in while Quorra held the leash that we had purchased for Marvin. Once we got into our room, I put everything down and then took Marvin off of his leash. Quorra moved into the bathroom and I heard water running immediately. I changed into a pair of pajamas and ordered dinner from downstairs as Quorra showered.

I tried to order something that she would feel like eating but was also warm. I got two mugs of hot chocolate, one for her and one for me because I was starting to get the chills from being out in the cold for so long.

The food had been delivered by the time she got out of the shower. She walked out of the bathroom brushing through her damp black hair. "I look a mess," she muttered as she looked into the mirror with a frown.

"No you don't," I told her from where I sat on the bed a few feet away from her. "Do you want me to wrap it?" I asked her as I noticed that her right hand was bare of the pink wrap. She nodded at me and came to sit on the bed next to me as I fumbled through one of the bags to get the bandages that we had purchased at the store.

She looked over at the table through the doorway to the other room and wrinkled her nose. "I'm not hungry, Sam," she told me. "But thank you."

"You need to eat something, though. It's warm, and there's hot chocolate," I promised as I started to gently but securely wrap her hand.

"Honestly, I think that if I eat anything I may just throw it all back up," she said as she sniffed a little bit.

"Okay, fair enough," I said as I cut the bandage that I wasn't going to use and secured the last bit of it around her wrist. "How does that feel?" I asked her.

"Perfect, thank you."

I pulled her into my lap then and ran my fingers through her wet hair. "What a brave little ISO," I told her with a gentle smile as I moved myself so my lips were against her ear.

I felt her good hand rest against my shoulder. "Not brave enough, apparently."

"Nonsense," I whispered to her as I pulled away from her ear and looked at her. "It's okay to be afraid sometimes." I leaned in to press my lips against hers but then pulled away after a few moments. "Like today, I was afraid that I had lost you," I told her as I traced her beautiful face with my fingers.

She sighed against the touch of my hand, closing her eyes as she did so. I felt her body relax against mine. I sought out her lips again but this time I didn't let go. I let one of my hands drop to her hip as my other hand continued to stroke the side of her face, feeling her soft and warm skin. I pressed my lips against her tender lips again, first in a soft manner but as time passed, I started to build on the kiss.

After a few moments, Quorra responded to my kisses cautiously, tasting my lips with her tongue every so often. I let my hands roam over her body as I continued to kiss her, feeling her soft skin against mine. I felt warm tears slowly start to run down my face then and I couldn't help but pull her even closer to me.

Quorra pulled her lips away from me and I was already missing her closeness to me. "Sam…"she started as she brushed her fingers against her cheeks and chin. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm…happy that you're here, baby," I told her gently. "Incredibly happy," I went on as I placed a few kissed on her cheek and nose.

"Me too," she murmured as she let a small smile grace her lips.

I pulled her lips back to mine and deepened the kiss that I had started mere minutes ago. I moved us then, laying her back against the soft covers of the bed and then moving to hover on top of her. I didn't break the kiss while I did this and I slowly intensified it as time went on. I pulled my lips from hers after about a minute and let them start to move along her body, her face, her neck, the bare section of her shoulders.

I wanted her, I needed her, I had to have her.

I'm not sure what it was about life- threatening incidents but it always made me cherish things so much more.

Quorra let out a breathy moan as I sucked on her neck gently. "Sam…" she sighed my name but it sounded like she was asking me something.

"Mmm?" I mumbled as I kissed her once more before moving so I was looking at her.

"Are we going to do this tonight?" she asked me in a whisper as she pulled against the hair at the nape of my neck.

I realized then how far things had escalated since we had started. I was incredibly hard and that made me want her even more. I had eased myself against her groin, enough so that she could feel me rubbing against her.

"I…would you like to?" I asked her gently.

"I want to, I want you," she breathed. "But please not tonight," she went on as she touched my lips with her fingertips. "Tomorrow, or the next, or…soon," she continued. "I'm so distracted and I want to enjoy this the best I can and I can't right now, Sam," she said in a small voice.

I kissed her fervently one more time before rolling over onto my side to look at her. "As you wish," I told her as I held a few strands of her hair in between my two fingers.

"So soon?" she asked me, pressing me on for an answer. "I love all of this; the kissing and all that but I want more of you," she told me. "And you shouldn't be afraid to give it to me."

I bit my lip. "Alright…soon," I said finally. "I love you," I told her as I took her left hand, the one that wasn't bandaged. "You are by far the most important person in my life. You're safety is very important to me. We will get to the bottom of this soon."

"I love you too," she murmured. "Thank you for taking care of me," she added softly as she let out a yawn.

"You never have to thank me for that."

She smiled at me then and I pulled her back into my arms as she started to drift off to sleep.

_**So, yeah, i know, pretty dull chapter but whatever, it had to be there and i promise, i tried to make it as interesting as possible! anyways...review! Tell me what you thought, what you want to go in future chapters, just say hey...don't do that...anyways bye for now :D**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Hey, I'm back again. And thanks for the soooo many reviews last chapter (lol...that was sarcasm) what happened last chapter? I hope it didn't stink that badly...**_

_**Anyways enjoy this chapter and remember that i don't own Tron :)**_

Quorra POV

I breathed in deeply before letting out a large yawn. My eyes fluttered opened slowly as they adjusted to the bright room that surrounded me. I stretched, moving myself to lie on my side to notice that the space that Sam had occupied when I had drifted off to sleep was now empty.

I could smell the strong scent of coffee in the air as well as some type of food that I couldn't put a name to since my head was still foggy with sleep. I pulled the covers against myself a little more as I felt the coldness of the room around me. "Sam…?" I mumbled drowsily as I clutched at the sheets gently.

I was about to get up when I heard Sam's voice in the other room of the spacious hotel suite that we had now spent almost two days in. "No…I can't do that," he said and I wondered momentarily if he was maybe talking to me. Was someone else in the apartment? I stopped moving around then so I could listen to what was going on.

Silence filled the air as I listened harder and after a handful of seconds, Sam started speaking again. "I know, I know…I just can't leave her here though...No but I'd rather keep an eye on her myself," he said and by the tone in his voice, he seemed stressed over something. I could picture him rubbing his forehead with one of his hands as he always did when he used this tone. "Alan, please…" Sam said and I had to listen harder because his voice dropped. "I went in yesterday afternoon and anyways, I have an assistant. I'll just have to pay her double overtime or something. I still have to figure out what I'm going to do about the dinner…maybe at a restaurant…" Sam mumbled in a gruff tone.

He must be talking to Alan over the phone. I knew that he wasn't talking to himself. I was missing the other part of the conversation, whatever they were talking about.

"She wouldn't like that. She's too stuck on not being fussed about," Sam said as I heard a few clanking dishes in the other room. "You heard what the man said yesterday, Alan!" Sam said in a voice that was a little louder. "That wasn't an accident and to make it worse, they only caught one of the men. I've never heard of that name before either," he stated as I heard footsteps against carpet moving around in the room.

The two of them were talking about me.

I became a little more alert then, trying to listen to every detail that Sam was spilling out. Sam had dropped me off at Alan and Lora's apartment while he and Alan went to the apartment complex to talk to all of the officers and get some things out of the apartment. Sam said that I should stay away for now but I was completely alright with that. I didn't want to go back there, honestly.

"Alan but I've been researching...there's a doctor in New York City," Sam started. "He's familiar with the phenomenon…with what she is. He may be able to help us, right? There has to be a reason as to why people are after her," Sam stated. "But it's something! MY father isn't here and he's the only one who knew about all of this. I sure as hell don't. That man could be the key to unlock everything…our questions," Sam went on.

I sighed, letting a frown fall over my tired face. "She's obviously different and I just…I'm trying, Alan. Will you look it up at least?" Sam asked and then silence filled the hotel suite again. "No, we will leave if it's necessary. I will not risk her life by staying here to do my job. Hell, I haven't been doing my job since my father disappeared, I think they could manage a bit longer without me," Sam said a bit harshly. "Fine…I'll talk to you later."

I heard shuffling then and within a few seconds, Sam had appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. He sighed as he noticed me lying in the center of the bed with my eyes wide opened. "And how much of that did you hear, little Miss?" he asked, trying to smile a little bit but he didn't let the smile reach his eyes.

"Enough," I answered as I yawned again and looked at him with an indecisive look. "Why didn't you tell me all of that last night?" I asked.

"Because…I wanted you to get a good night's sleep. You didn't sleep well at all the night before," he replied as he shrugged and came to sit on the edge of the bed. "And see? It's almost noon, I think that you slept well."

"Well…" I started as I pulled open the covers. "You don't look like you've slept well. Get in," I told him, trying to pull off a stern look but failed.

He sighed and shook his head. "No, I have things to do. I have to make reservations, talk to one of the movers to relocate our belongings when everyone finishes up at the apartment, and to-"

"Get in, Sam Flynn, before I get mad," I grumbled as I grabbed for his hand and pulled on it.

Sam gave me a look of disbelief. "Or you'll get mad, huh?" he asked me with a grin starting to build on his lips.

"Yes, very mad, like when Amy gets mad at Ricky for not taking care of John in the Secret Life of the American Teenager," I told him with a nod. "Or would that be an incorrect reference scenario?" I pondered as I rubbed my temple.

"Well...since we don't have a baby…." Sam grumbled. "Wrong scenario."

"Just get in, Sam Flynn," I told him with narrowed eyes as I tugged on his hand again.

Sam gave me a strange look before bursting into laughter. "Well I can't say no when you say it so kindly," he said sarcastically as he lay down and rested his head on one of the pillows. "Are you happy now?"

"Very," I clarified as I turned my body so I was facing him. "See? Look at you. You look so tired, Sam," I told him as I brushed my hand through his sandy blonde hair, letting my hand lightly massage his head. Sam took my broken hand gently into his and pressed it against his cheek in the lightest of ways. "When did you wake up?" I asked him as I continued to run my fingers through his hair.

He hummed his approval of the gesture and wrapped his free arm around my hip. "Around eight, I think. I had some things to do," he said as I moved my hand from his hair down to his chest. I let my hand slip underneath his shirt and press up against his stomach. "And how am I supposed to sleep like you want when you are doing that?" Sam asked me as he poked his finger against my stomach twice, laughing softly as I jumped away from the touch.

"Well, you can always go back to bed if you want to," I told him as I worked my hand out from under his shirt and let it rest innocently on his shoulder. "But I just wanted you to lay here with me," I said with a small smile. "I don't think you'll mind though."

"Stop teasing," he told me gently as he settled into the bed some more. "Because that just isn't fair," he went on as he gave me one of his flashy grins.

I laughed at him. "I'm not teasing. I don't tease men," I murmured as I turned my back on him. His hand moved to my back then, trailing a steady and delicate pathway down my spine.

"Oh?" he mumbled from behind me. "Plural?"

He chuckled but I turned to look at him with a confused face. "Plural?" I asked.

"Yeah, like…more than one man, in the way that I used it," he told me as he pulled me a little bit closer to him.

"Oh," I mumbled. "Hmm, that's the first time I've heard that," I said to him. "But no, no plural men, just you."

He chuckled. "You are such an innocent little thing, aren't you?" he murmured as he placed a kiss against my nose.

"No," I told him with a fake pout. He reached his hands out then and started to tickle my sides gently at first, causing me to squeak. "Sam!" I whined in between laughs as my body started to squirm against the sheets that surrounded us.

"Hmm? You don't like that?" Sam asked me in a teasing tone as he started to tickle my ribs harder, causing my laughs to become a bit uncontrollable.

"Sam!" I squealed as he moved on top of me and continued to run his hands along my torso. "Stop….Sam, I….can't breathe!" I told him from in between laughs and gasps for air. He was laughing now too for some reason and after a few more moment of my squeals of laughter, he slowed his hands so they were just massaging my belly and sides.

My giggles and gasps for air slowly died away and I was finally left with Sam hovering on top of me, his hands delicately rubbing against me. "Oh, that feels nice," I told him as I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling his face closer to mine. "And I'm the teaser? I think not, you liar," I told him as I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I'll bite that tongue of yours if you stick it in my direction again," he told me with a playfully angry face.

"No, you won't," I laughed as I rubbed the back of his neck softly with one of my hands. "You're too nice to do that," I told him as I shook my head.

Sam chuckled again and leaned in so his face was barely an inch away from mine. "You're probably right," he murmured as he placed his lips on the right side of my own lips. "But how could I be mean to such a lovely...adorable…sexy little lady such as yourself?" he asked me as he pulled away slightly.

I felt my cheeks get warmer and I couldn't help the shy laugh that escaped my lips. In the next moment, Sam had pressed his lips gently against mine. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms a bit tighter around his neck to lock his lips against mine.

He moved a bit so he could suck on my lower lip, allowing me a breath or two as our kiss started to progress. I stifled a breathy moan as he bit on my lip gently. I could feel my heart starting to beat faster as his lips started to move quicker against mine and his hands started to roam around my body. I let my fingers tug softly at his hair at the top of his neck and in return, he deepened the kiss by sticking his tongue out to taste my lips. "Mmm…so good…" he whispered as he let his tongue trace the outline of my lips for a bit before I opened my mouth a bit to allow him entrance.

He slipped his tongue past my lips effortlessly and made haste in twining our tongues together. I felt his hands run through my hair as our tongues remained in sync with one another's. I let out a breathy sigh as I felt the electricity sear through my body and the warmth gather between my legs. Sam retreated his tongue and then pulled his lips from mine then, moving his head to trail soft kisses down my neck. I opened my eyes slightly as I let my fingers tug at his hair.

He started to aim his kisses lower and I felt him flick a button open on my flannel pajama top. He tilted his face upwards to take a glance at my face, searching for something, before continuing. He flicked two more buttons open before sucking in a breath. I felt his lips move even lower and the fire intensify within me as he buried his head against my chest, kissing in between my breasts. "A see through lace bra?" he asked me in a hoarse voice as he pulled away for a moment to undo the last two buttons. I responded with a nervous laugh as he worked the flannel pajama top off of my shoulders, down my arms, and onto the floor beside the bed.

I started to work his t shirt off with one of my hands, tugging at the fabric as I tried to work it off of him as quickly as possible. In one swift motion, his hands had replied mine and he had removed the shirt entirely. I smiled as his lips came to meet mine once again and I let my fingers roam against his bare chest and abs. I gasped slightly as I felt one of his hands take its place on y right breast and gently massage it through my bra. I shivered and gripped at his shoulder as I felt the familiar yet still foreign lust sweep through my body.

I wasn't sure of what to do next and so I just followed Sam's lead, kissing him deeper as he let his fingers slide underneath my bra. "Sam…" I breathed his name as I felt myself becoming frustrated with the slow speed that this was going.

A phone rang then, jolting Sam and I from our passionate kiss. We both jumped, banging heads with one another. "Ouch," I grumbled and then we both laughed softly as Sam rubbed my head, giving me an apologetic look. His eyes swept over my half-dressed body and I watched him grin. "You should get that, Sam," I told him as I sat up, forcing him up with me and out of his thoughts. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to salvage the mess that Sam had just made of it.

"Don't like your hair messy, huh? Well that's just the beginning of it, baby," he told me as he sat up fully and then stood after a few quick moments. "It'll get worse."

I smiled at him before he walked out of the room, looking at me one last time as he exited. "Marvin," I called softly and smiled as I heard the sound of a jingling collar nearing me.

Marvin hopped up onto the bed and into my lap. I patted his head a few times and rubbed my hands against his little body. He licked my hand and barked once at me before settling down into my lap again.

"On the second level, please, reservations for thirteen," Sam said into the phone as I continued to stroke Marvin's soft fur. "Company formal dinner," he replied to whoever was talking to him on the other line. "Alright, that's perfect, thank you."

Sam hung up then and walked back into the bedroom where I still sat. "So the dinner formal will be at Culina tomorrow evening," Sam told me. "At least that is taken care of," he murmured as he reached onto the ground and tossed me my pajama top. "Do me a favor and put this on before I decide to finish what I started," he told me as he gave me a wink.

"And if I decide not to?" I asked with a small laugh as I caught the top and held the fabric in my hands.

He chuckled. "Then I'll just have to put it on for you. It scares me at how okay with all of this you are," he told me as I slipped the top on and started buttoning it up. "It must be all of those TV shows that you watch."

I laughed at him. "Probably, it seems as though shows must have sex scenes in order to get ratings. That's very strange," I told him. "But about the dinner," I started. "I need a dress," I told him as I rubbed the space between Marvin's ears. "A pretty one but all of mine are still at the apartment," I continued with a pout settling onto my face.

"Order one online or we can go out later today if you don't want to do that," Sam said to me as he took a comb and started to fix his hair. "I'm not the only one who messes up hair," he told me as he glanced in my direction from the mirror. "But I think it's cute."

I laughed softly. "I'll just order a dress online and we can pick it up before tomorrow afternoon," I told him. "And I didn't do that. How can I do that when I only have one hand?" I asked him with a smile as I lifted my wrapped hand up.

Sam put a shirt back on and I couldn't help but pout. "You seem to have no problem moving your fingers," he shot back lightly as he turned to face me finally.

Marvin got out of my lap then and walked out of the room. "Can we do something fun today?" I asked him.

"Like…?"

"I don't know…something other than staying here all day and then dropping me off somewhere to be babysat," I told him with a slight glare in his direction.

Sam seemed to think about it for a little while. "Quorra…I have so many things to do. Alan can't do everything for me," he told me softly.

"Please…" I murmured as I stood and walked over to stand right in front of him. "Please, I'll beg," I warned as I started to pout. "Just take me somewhere for a few hours and then we can come back and work everything out then. Stop being so serious," I lectured as I shook my head disapprovingly at him.

He sighed and I immediately knew that I had won. "Alright…It's a bit warmer out today and I've never taken you to a beach before," he started.

"We're going to swim?" I asked him with a small jolt of excitement.

"No, no, it's too cold for that," he answered. "And I don't even know if you can," he said as I rolled my eyes at him and shrugged. "There's a cliff that we could get on or below, I suppose, and just watch the waves for a while," he told me.

"Oh!" I squealed. "That sounds amazing!" I told him happily.

"Bot…you still have to wear warm clothes. We can bring a blanket too," he added.

"Okay."

"But you are going to eat something first," he told me as he wrapped both of his arms around my waist. "I ordered breakfast not too long ago. It's sitting in the kitchen."

Sam picked me up then and spun me around once before carrying me out of the bedroom. I laughed and held onto him tightly. He placed me on my feet once we reached the kitchen and he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Waffles, turkey bacon, grapes, and apple slices," I commented as I looked at the ensemble of dishes and food on the marble counter. "And orange juice, that's good because I don't want coffee. The coffee here isn't as good as the coffee that we get," I told him as I placed my good hand over his.

I felt his nose move through my hair and end at my ear before he leaned in and kissed the back of my neck. He let go of me then and took a few steps back. "Go sit down, I'll bring everything to you, okay?"

"I think I'm capable of doing it, Sam," I told him as I grabbed the cup of orange juice in my bad hand and the plate in my good hand. "See?" I asked him as I walked over to the table, setting everything down and sitting there. I noticed a stack of papers on the table then. "What's all of this?" I asked him as I pulled the papers to me.

"We have to move, so I have to find out where. Do you like any of them?" he asked as he picked up his coffee mug and joined me at the table. "I'll have to rent whatever we choose. Once all of this is over, I plan on moving again so there aren't issues," he told me. "I was thinking that we could rent an apartment or condo on the outer parts of Los Angeles. Of course that means that it will take longer to get to work but I think I can deal with getting up a bit earlier."

"I like this one," I told him after I quickly scanned through the stack of papers. "It's kind of like the other apartment," I said as I looked at the pictures. I gave him the papers and he nodded as he took a large sip of coffee.

"Alright then, I'll get in contact with them sometime today or tomorrow. Although, we may not move in until next week," he informed me as I took a bite of the waffles on my plate. I smiled up at him and he met my gaze for a moment before sighing. "We'll probably make a trip up to New York soon as well but not until I am sure that I can trust this doctor with you. And…I'll have to make an appointment to get your hand fitted for a splint since you didn't want to go to the hospital the other day," he went on.

I started to glare at him but this time, I was serious. "I am so sick of going to the doctors' offices. I have probably gone at least a dozen times since I have been here. And I have only been here for barely six months!" I exclaimed in an irritated tone. "I hate going there to have people I don't even know examine me, poke me with needles, and stick things in me that I don't even know what they are," I told him.

He frowned at me. "I'm sorry, Quorra," he said softly. "Almost six months ago, I barely knew how to take care of myself. Now I have to take care of myself, take responsibility for my actions, and take care of you too. I don't know-"

"You don't 'have' to take care of me," I told him in the same frustrated tone that I had used just seconds ago. "I know how to take care of myself. I took care of myself for many cycles. I think I can still do that, Sam Flynn," I snapped at him as I stood and started to walk away from him. "I'm not a child. I can do things on my own," I continued as I turned my back to him.

"I know that, Quorra. I'm just trying to do the best I can with you. Stop being so difficult," he told me in a gruff voice. I heard him get up from his seat as well and take a few steps towards me.

"I'm not being difficult!" I shouted at him. "Stop telling me what to do, Sam! Let me have a little freedom, let me do things on my own," I told him in a bit calmer voice as I ran my fingers through my hair. I stifled a sigh and leaned against a cushion chair. Oh, jeez, I'm taking PMS to a whole new level…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," I told him as I pressed my hand to my forehead.

Silence filled the air for a moment before I felt a hand on my back. "It's okay," he sighed as he pulled me up so I was facing him. He studied my face for a few moments before touching my cheek. "What's the matter?" he asked me softly as he looked down at me with a soft expression. "Because I know you're not PMS-ing, I dealt with that two weeks ago," he informed me with a sideways glance and a small smile.

"I…I don't know," I whispered as I met his gaze carefully. "I'm just...I don't know," I started again and then frowned. "I…need a break, Sam. I can't…" I trailed off again and Sam pulled me into his arms gently. "I feel like….I want to cry, but I don't understand it, nothing happened," I said as I felt my throat sting. He didn't say a word to me so I continued. "People are after me and I don't know what I did to deserve that, other people won't stop bothering me about what happened, you feel guilty for leaving me alone when that was what I wanted, and you have so many things to deal with because of me," I whispered. "It's not fair."

"Hey…" Sam started as he pulled back and took my hand and pulled me over to the small leather couch. He sat down and opened his arms to me, letting me sit in his lap. I let my head rest against the crook of his neck as Sam pulled a blanket around us. "This isn't your fault. I know it's difficult to grasp because I don't understand what's going on either. I don't care that I have to do all of this right now, that's the least of my problems," he told me as he squeezed my hand gently. "Someone tried to hurt you, Q, and I don't want them to get another chance to do that again," he said as he placed his warm hand against my cheek. "You and I have to do all of these things to make sure that you are safe. Please, you just have to bear with me," he murmured as he placed a kiss to the top of my head.

I sighed. "It feels like it's my fault," I mumbled as I fiddled with Sam's fingers nervously. "This scares me, Sam. I don't want to be running for my life again," I said as I buried my face into my chest.

He didn't say anything for about a minute. "It'll be okay, I promise. I'll do anything…" he paused as he turned my head so I was staring straight at him. "Anything to protect you, to keep you safe," he told me and then took a deep breath. "I don't think you understand how much I adore you, how much I care about you, how much I love you," he said fervently.

I couldn't help the small smile that fell onto my face. "I think I do," I breathed. The other thoughts washed out of my mind then and I found myself focusing only on what he had just told me. "I've never felt anything like it before," I told him honestly. "But I think you already know that," I added with a shy laugh. "But sometimes…" I paused as I felt his eyes train on me intently. "I don't know what to do with it, all of the feelings," I swallowed as my face twisted into a confused look. "Flynn never taught me these things," I said softly. "And obviously, I see why now."

Sam laughed softly before hugging me to him. "Such a treasure," he mumbled into my ear

"Sam…" I started. "What if this turns out badly for me?" I asked him. "What if they kill me or take me away from you?"

"I won't let that happen to you. You mean everything to me," he told me, dismissing the two questions entirely. "Do you trust me?"

I smiled despite myself. "Of course, I do."

"Good," he told me before placing a gentle but quick kiss to my lips. I snuggled against him and for a few minutes, we sat in silence, wrapped in our own thoughts and each other. "Would you still like to go to the beach? I believe I remember you asking to do something fun today," he murmured as his fingers took a few strands of my hair.

I smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yes, I'd love to."

_**Pretty dull ending, ya, i kno. But get pumped guys! Ur in a thriller next chapter! :D I'm serious. **_

_**Also, I have a new beta, so for those of you that like reading my story more than once, it may look different/cleaned up. Don't worry, I know!**_

_**Anyways...Review please and tell me what you think. I am coming close to an end in this part of the trilogy that i decided to go through with so It's about to get crazy here :D**_

_**seeeyaaa**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Tron :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Sam POV

"So what do you think, Sam?" Quorra asked as she spun around once and gave me one of her dazzling smiles. "I think it might be too much, it is just a formal dinner. I'm still not good at picking out outfits for special occasions," she told me with a worried gaze.

She was wearing a deep red dress that had a frilled halter top design. The fabric stopped at her thighs and dipped in towards her chest.

"No, no, you look great," I told her as I fixed my tie and she threw a black dress sweater over her slim frame.

She sighed as she bent over to put on a pair of stiletto ankle boots. "I didn't ask how I looked, Sam Flynn," she told me as she rolled her eyes. "I asked if it was too much for a formal dinner," she prodded on as she stood back up, now three and a half inches taller than she was a few seconds ago.

"It's just fine for a formal dinner, you did fine in picking it out," I promised her as I walked past her and squeezed her shoulders. "And I really like it when you wear red," I said with a glance back at her. "Very sexy."

She gave me a grateful look and then a small laugh. "I need to get my ears pierced, although I have heard that it hurts," she said as she touched her ear with her fingers. "There are so many different earrings out there," she murmured as she put the necklace that I got her for Christmas around her neck.

"You know what I think?" I asked her as I combed through my hair quickly and then walked over to her, standing only a few inches taller than her now. "Women worry about their appearance too much. I guess that fact doesn't change no matter where you're from," I said with another laugh. "You look beautiful and very professional, stop worrying," I told her as I helped her fasten on a bracelet that she wasn't even close to getting on because of her broken wrist.

I had taken her to the doctors' office yesterday after our trip to the beach so she could get a splint or a cast. Her doctor put her in a small hand cast that was hot pink and we were to return about four weeks later to have the cast cut off. Quorra didn't like the sound of that, but after a few minutes of reassuring her in the car on the way back to the hotel, she grouchily accepted it.

Quorra grabbed her clutch purse and stood near the door as I grabbed the keys to the Mercedes and neared her. Marvin was laying on the carpet near the window, looking like he was sleeping but I could see his beady little eyes lazily staring at the two of us. I turned to Quorra and took her hand into mine. "Ready? You can always stay here if you'd like to," I told her sincerely as I brushed my fingers against her cheek.

"No, I'm ready," she answered as she leaned into my hand for a moment before pulling back. "I haven't been to ENCOM in a while and I'm pretty sure that there's suspicion about it," she murmured as I opened the door and closed it behind the two of us.

I rolled my eyes. "None of that matters, let them think what they want," I said as we walked down the hallway. "And anyways, you're allowed time off. All jobs have paid off days, or most of them," I told her as I pressed the button to the elevator and it opened immediately.

"Oh, no," Quorra mumbled as the elevator door closed. "I left my phone," she said as she looked through her clutch purse to check and see if it was there. She had gotten a new phone yesterday as well since her previous one had been shattered.

I shrugged. "It's alright; we're both going to the same place. It doesn't matter for now," I told her as we rode the elevator down to the lobby and had one of the ballet drivers pull up our car. I opened the door to the passenger side and Quorra got in quickly, shutting the door behind as I walked around the car and got into the drivers' seat.

"Sam," Quorra murmured as we drove out of the parking lot and onto one of the main streets. "Can we get a kitten?" she asked me as she looked out the window.

I frowned but I couldn't help the smile that was pursed on my lips. "Why do you want a cat?" I asked her in amusement. "A few months ago, you said that they were very mean creatures," I reminded her with a snicker.

"I said a kitten, Sam Flynn," she chided as she looked over at me. "I said it right, didn't I? A baby cat is a kitten?" she asked and I nodded at her. "They are so cute! I want one," she said simply. "Can we get one when we move into the apartment next week?" she asked me and I could see the small pout playing on her lips.

"Well, you seriously have the pouting thing down," I said as I gripped my hands tighter on the steering wheel. "I don't think I could ever say no to a face like that."

"That's biased though, isn't it?" she asked me as she reached behind her to grab the iPad that was in the seat pocket. "I've read about it in books and seen it in movies. You only can't say no to me because you love me so very much and don't' want to upset me, right?" she inquired as she flipped through the pages of applications and settled for the Amazon reading application. "So you would be biased because someone else may tell me no to things like that," she finished with a grin.

"Sure, I guess I'm biased then," I admitted as we continued to ride along in the car. "But who wants to see such an adorable face so sad?" I asked her as I looked over at her.

"Well…what if I asked you to… get me my own motorcycle?" she asked me with a grin. "A fast one, like on the Grid."

I laughed at her for a moment. "I would think about that one. Honestly, motorcycles are pretty dangerous, and the thought of you riding that fast on one makes me nervous," I answered. "Physics and gravity don't work the same here," I said to her. "You could get seriously hurt if you were in an accident."

"I know it's different here," she told me with a roll to her eyes. "But what if I promised to be careful, like I am with the Ducati," she tried as she looked out the window again. "And I'll always wear a helmet."

"I already make you wear a helmet," I reminded her. "If you want something fast, we can get you a sports car, a Porsche or something," I said. "I would feel a little bit better," I mumbled as I sped up a bit to go through a light before it turned red.

"So is it the job of the boyfriend to be overly protective of their girlfriend?" Quorra asked me in an accusing tone.

"No…" I grumbled. "Well, I guess the good boyfriends worry about their girlfriends, but you're a special case," I reminded her. "It's kind of rare for people like you to be walking the earth," I chuckled.

"Biases," she chirped and tapped her index finger on the window. "How fast do sports cars go?" she asked me curiously.

"I hope you won't turn into an adrenaline junkie," I said with a frown as I glanced over at her. "And pretty fast, a lot faster than the Ducati goes," I replied.

Her eyes sparked then and a grin crossed her face. "Oh, then I will settle for a sports car then," she told me as she sat up again and looked over at me. "And the kitten," she added triumphantly.

"What will you do with the kitten when it becomes a cat?" I asked her with a large smug expression.

She frowned then. "Oh, no…" she whispered as she ran her fingers through her perfect black hair. "But I just want a kitten…" she mumbled as she looked down at her iPad again and started purchasing a few stories so she could read. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed as she set the iPad aside when she was finished with it. "When it becomes a cat, we can send it to a family that likes cats instead of kittens," she announced with a smile. "And then we can get another kitten," she went on with a nod.

I burst into laughter at her remark. "When most people get a pet, they keep it. You probably won't even notice the difference in the cat as it ages because if you get the right one, you'll love it," I told her. "Yes, we can get a kitten but trust me, you won't want to give it away," I said. "And anyways, you better hope that Marvin doesn't eat your kitten," I teased gently as I picked her hand up for a moment and squeezed it gently.

"Marvin wouldn't do that," she cried and I watched as her face fell.

"I'm kidding, Quorra," I laughed as I turned into the parking lot of the restaurant where we would be dining tonight. "Marvin is usually pretty good with other animals," I reassured her.

"Not funny, Sam Flynn," she told me with a sniff.

I parked and then turned off the car, unbuckling my seat belt as I did so. I leaned over and kissed Quorra gently before pulling away. "It was just a little joke," I said softly before getting out the car and walking over to the passenger side. Quorra got out and shut the door behind her, walking up to me. "So beautiful," I murmured as I looped an arm around her waist. She leaned into me a bit as we walked towards the entrance of the restaurant.

We walked inside and were escorted to our table. A few members of the board were already here, some with their wives, and others alone. Alan and Lora were here, as well the treasure and his wife. Ed Dillinger Jr. was here with what seemed to be a date, and the two co-vice presidents were here as well.

Quorra and I took our seats and were greeted almost immediately. "I almost thought you weren't going to show," Alan told me in a quiet tone as he gave me an almost stern look.

"Ah, what a surprise," Ed Dillinger Jr. murmured towards us. "I didn't think she was going to show up," he murmured as he gave the two of us a sultry smile. "I'm glad you could make it," he said with a nod before turning to the girl at his side and starting a conversation with her.

The waiter came over to us. "What would you like to drink?" he asked us.

I nodded for Quorra to go ahead and she looked up at the man. "Water, please," she murmured as he handed her a menu and she looked at the cover.

"Water for me too, please, and can you open a bottle of Chardonnay for the table?" I inquired as the waiter handed me a menu as well.

"Of course," he told me before leaving, heading towards the back of the restaurant.

The rest of the board seemed to file in at once in the next two minutes. The waiter came back with our waters and got everyone else their drinks before bringing out the wine.

The girl that sat next to Dillinger got up and excused herself, looking a bit embarrassed for whatever reason. She left and a few of us looked on in confusion as the girl we didn't know left the room.

The waiter came back to our table then to place filled wine glasses in front of us. Two other waiters followed behind him, one with more filled wine glasses, and the other with two opened bottles of the white wine. The last waiter set the bottles down in the center of the table as the first waiter gave Quorra a glass, then me, then Lora, Alan, and lastly Ed Dillinger Jr. I watched as the second waiter put the rest of the filled glasses out.

We waited for the girl to return before we toasted and then all sipped at the white wine. "This one actually tastes good, "she told me with a small giggle before taking another sip and placing it down on the table.

"Yeah, Chardonnay is good, I like it too," I replied with a soft smile at her pretty face. "Have you decided what you want?" I asked her as I let my hand fall onto her leg and rub it gently before pulling back.

She sighed. "I may stick to something I'm used to," she told me with a shrug. "This is still…" she trailed off as she looked at me for a brief moment. I knew what she meant immediately and squeezed her hand.

I looked up from her gaze to see Ed Dillinger Jr. looking at her with a strange face. His eyes were slightly narrowed and he looked confused. I know that he hadn't heard what Quorra and I had just said because we were talking quietly, or at least, that's what I thought. He looked bothered though, as if he weren't even listening to what we had said, which was a good thing.

He noticed my gaze on him and then turned his eyes from hers, looking at a painting up against the wall to the side of the large dining room. Quorra took another large sip of wine before closing her menu booklet. "I know what I want," she told me with a small smile. "I want…" she trailed off then and I watched in confusion as her face contorted into something, pain maybe? She concealed it well though if it was because the smile remained on her face. "The fettuccini Alfredo," she said with a smile. "My favorite."

"I should have guessed," I chuckled softly before turning to look at Alan. "Thanks for everything this week, Alan. I hope that I can get my shit together by Monday," I told him honestly.

He nodded at me. "It's alright. You do what you have to do," he said simply. "But if you could come by our apartment after dinner…" he trailed off as he gave me a meaningful look and glanced at the beautiful Iso that sat beside me. "I have something to give the two of you and I forgot to bring it," he went on. "Old age," he commented a bit louder as he turned away to smile slightly at the small crowd of people around us. I nodded at him and looked up again

Dillinger was staring straight at Quorra again and I was starting to get irritated. I didn't understand the look that he was giving her. It wasn't a lustful look. He looked perplexed, unsure, and a little worried for some reason. "Is something wrong?" I asked him, directing my gaze fully on him.

He shook his head at me and looked away from her for the second time. I took Quorra's hand underneath the table, rubbing my thumb against the back of her hand gently.

The waiter, David, came back with the appetizers and one by one, the table started to take turns in picking what they wanted. Quorra grabbed a piece of bread from the basket in front of her and halfheartedly ate it. I looked over at her to see that her face had gone a little bit pale and she had her arm pressed up against her stomach.

I leaned over towards her. "Are you alright?" I asked her softly. She nodded at me barely but for some reason, I could tell that she was lying to me. Her face was set and she wasn't moving. "Quorra, what's the matter?" I whispered in her ear.

She took in a deep, staggering breath, as if she was having trouble breathing. "I don't know…" she said almost incoherently. "I…"

I frowned as she clutched her stomach and yanked her hand away from mine to grasp at her forehead. "Quorra, if you're not feeling well, we can go home," I murmured to her. "There will be plenty of dinner socials for us to attend," I reminded her, my voice starting to rise with worry.

"No…I'm fine," she said as she looked up at me. "It'll pass," she promised me softly.

Our conversation had gathered a few worried looks and concerned expressions. "Sam, she doesn't look well," one of the co-vice presidents, Ralph, commented with a troubled look in her direction.

"She doesn't look it, but is she pregnant?" one of the wives sitting diagonal to Quorra asked curiously. "It could be morning sickness," she told me with a frown.

"What…?" Quorra asked as she looked up at me in utter confusion.

"No, she isn't pregnant," I answered with a shake to my head. Quorra took another breath and I saw some of the color come back to her face.

I placed my hand on her thigh and tried to calm her. The small audience went back to their own conversations once Quorra took another bite of the bread on her plate. "What was that?" I asked her gently.

"Gosh, I feel…" she breathed as she looked down into her lap and shook her head slowly. "Sam, what's going on?" she whispered as she let out a shaky breath.

I frowned at her, concern falling over my features immediately. "Maybe we should go home," I told her softly. "You may just need some sleep."

She shook her head at me and put on a strange face. "I can suck it up," she told me as she brushed her left hand against mine.

I almost jumped at the feel of her hand, how incredibly cold it was. I looked down to see a slight hint of discoloration in her fingers and palm. I grabbed her hand and she let out a small yelp with the way I jostled her arm.

"Are we interrupting something?" a voice questioned from across from the two of us and I looked up to see Ed Dillinger Jr. looking at the two of us with a baffling expression. His date had left the table again and now he had directed his attention on us.

"No, )-"

"I'll be back in a minute," she breathed in my direction before standing up. She looked like she was going to collapse as she stood, as if she couldn't carry her own weight. She pressed her hand to her side and all but staggered out of the room as I looked on with anxiety.

I turned back to the table after a few seconds and noticed a few of the board members staring at me while others tried to ignore what had just happened. I sighed, trying to jump into a conversation to keep my mind off of Quorra until she returned to me.

But I couldn't.

A couple minutes passed and I started to worry even more. Was she alright?

I looked over at Alan to see him staring at me. He gave me a look before placing a hand on Lora's shoulder. She stood and exited the room as the young lady that was sitting next to Dillinger came to take her seat again.

Alan and I shared a worried look before turning back to the crowd of people. I was about to address them all but then I heard Lora's distressed voice.

"Alan! Sam!" she said in a rushed tone, causing everyone to turn and face her. She was standing in the walkway and her face was terrified. I stood at once, following her as she disappeared again. Alan was right on my heels and we came to a halt at the door to the women's restroom.

Alan pushed past the door and I followed him, my eyes immediately dropping to the ground as I noticed a heap sprawled out on the floor in front of me.

Quorra was on the bathroom floor seemingly unconscious with a pool of vomit pooled about a foot away from her. Her face had gone completely pale and it looked as if she was barely breathing. Her eyes seemed to stare past me, staring at nothing.

"Lora, call an ambulance!" Alan instructed in a calm voice as the both of us knelt down at her side. Lora left the bathroom at once as Alan started checking for a pulse in Quorra's neck. "She has a pulse but it's too slow. Elevate her head," Alan instructed as he took off his dress coat and messily folded it to stuff it underneath her head.

"What's going on?" I asked impatiently as I fixed the jacket so it helped prop her head up a bit. The bathroom door flung open then, causing me to turn my attention on who had just walked in.

Lora came through the door first, followed by what looked like the manager of the restaurant. He was clad in a formal suit and was maybe in his mid-thirties. "Ten minutes, what's wrong with her?" Lora asked in a quivering voice as she went to kneel by Quorra's head.

A struggled gasp kept me from answering Lora's question. I looked down to see Quorra trying to breathe in. She let out a scared whimper and moved one of her shaky hands to her throat, clutching at it furiously. "Stop moving," Alan said as he pulled her hand away from her neck and placed it back on the ground. "Keep her from moving," he told Lora and I as he looked down at her.

"Is there anything I can do?" the manager asked from where he stood from in the doorway still.

"Find someone trained in CPR," Alan replied as he placed his hand on Quorra's chest. "Her breathing is slowing."

"I'm certified," the man said at once and Alan beckoned for him to kneel beside him.

Quorra whimpered again but after a second, it turned into a gurgle. I listened in horror as she started to choke on whatever was in her lungs. Her body shook a couple of times before she went still again. "Alan, do something!" I shouted at him as I shook her still body.

"Turn her on her side," the manager instructed and I immediately started to jostle her body. "Gently!" he put in, helping me push her over.

Quorra made a hiccupping noise, followed by a gag and then she vomited again. She tried to move her arms but I placed my hands over them to restrain her. "Sam...this-hurts!" she cried in a broken and barely audible voice. Color had returned to her face a little bit, light pink flushes building on her cheeks. She gagged once more before her body stilled and she fell into silence again.

"What's going on with her?" I asked anxiously as I pressed my warm hand to her incredibly cold forehead.

"I'm not sure, Sam, but-"

Alan was cut off as the manager cut in.

"Sir, I think she's been poisoned."

_**AHH! The quicker the reviews come in, the quicker you all will find out what happens next! Thoughts? Any ideas on who the mystery killer/s are? :)**_

_**REVIEW!**_


	21. Chapter 21

Quorra POV

My eyes were heavy, I could feel them weighing down on me as I tried to pull them open. I could see the light through my eyelids though and I could sense that I had woken up. I could feel the presence of people around me, moving about, standing over me, and shuffling. I could hear multiple tones of beeping, chirping, and chugging close by as my ears started to wake from their slumber as well.

I didn't know where I was but I knew that I wasn't in the peaceful space of the hotel that I had remembered myself in.

"_Gosh, I feel…Sam what's going on?"_

I heard my voice echo clearly through my head. I could remember the sharp pains in my stomach and the feeling that my lungs were closing up on me. I could remember my heart starting to race because of the confusion and fear that was starting to tear through my body.

"_Sam…this-hurts!" _

My head rattled as I heard my voice cry out helplessly. I could hear my labored breathing inside my head and multiple people shouting around me. Sam was there, I could hear his voice talking frantically close to my head.

"_What's going on with her?"_

Sam's shout racked through my head and then I felt a searing pain shoot through my body. I remember not being able to breathe because liquid started to gather in my throat.

The realness of the memories were frightening until I had been submerged into darkness.

My eyes fluttered open then, wincing at the bright lights around me. I could feel a familiar warm hand covering both of mine and it helped me ground myself to reality, to what I was supposed to be facing now.

I attempted to turn my head to look for him but I stopped as I felt a wave of discomfort shoot through my spine. My body felt stiff. How long had I been lying down for?

I let my eyes wonder around the room to search for him. He was sitting in a chair that had been pushed closely up against the bed that I was lying in. His arms were positioned on the edge of the bed with his elbows propping him up and his hands were clasping mine. I looked up at his face to see his features full of sadness and…worry maybe? His eyes were dull and his mouth was set into a deep frown.

I tried to call his name but when I opened my mouth; I sucked in a breath instead, followed by a sting that fell down my throat. I breathed out then, making a soft groaning noise as my body shuddered.

Sam jumped slightly in his seat looked over at me anxiously, widening his eyes as he zeroed in on my face. "You're awake," he whispered as he turned himself so he could look at me fully. He barely shook his head and he tipped one side of his lips into a smile. "You're alive," he breathed as the other corner of his mouth pulled up into a smile. "You're okay," he said in a tone that sounded like he was reassuring someone but I didn't know who.

I looked at him blankly, blinking the heaviness out of my eyes as I did so. I took my gaze away from his for a moment to look at the small room around me. I was in a hospital room again, stationed to a bunch of monitors, and refined to this bed, again. I could feel the coldness of the hospital around me and the utter eeriness of the place.

"Do you remember?" he asked me in a quiet voice as he leaned in a bit closer. I answered by giving him the smallest of nods. I knew, by the look on his face, exactly what he was talking about. "They said that there was a chance that you wouldn't remember anything, none of your life," he told me softly and I could see that he seemed scared.

I took in another stinging breath but then noticed that I was still getting oxygen when I held my breath. That's when I felt something plastered to the bottom of my face. I took one of my hands away from Sam's and felt my face, noticing strange tubing on my face and attaching to my nose. "It's an oxygen tank," he told me as he realized where my confusion was coming from. "You've been out for a few days and you were in ICU until yesterday," he said as I felt his fingers trace the back of my other hand. "You can't really breathe on your own right now."

He reached out and grabbed my hand when I started to tug at the tubing. I looked at our two hands and noticed the contraptions attached to my fingers. I recognized them though. The Band-Aid looking cloth with the red light coming from it was to read my pulse and the clear tube on the back of my hand was an IV feed.

I reached my arm out as far as I could and pressed my hand against his warm cheek. The heat coming off of him was soothing and I heard myself breathe a shaky sigh because of the comfort that it brought me. "Is my hand cold?" I asked him in a whisper. My body shook slightly as I spoke to him and I took another semi-painful breath.

He leaned in even closer so my elbow was resting on the bed and he placed one of his hands over mine gently on his cheek. "Very cold," he breathed with a nod. "It almost makes me shiver," he told me quietly.

I brought my hand from his cheek to the side of his neck, cupping it. The small tubing tugged on me though and Sam pulled my hand away from him and back onto the bed. I scanned over his face and noticed how his eyes drooped. "You look tired," I told him in a stronger voice. I lightly gasped at how cracked and broken my voice sounded.

He grimaced and I could sense the uncertainty in his face. "I couldn't sleep…" he started as he looked out the window briefly before turning back to me. "They told me…that you were going to die. They said that they would do what they could but all odds were against you," he breathed as I saw his eyes droop. "I didn't want to sleep, I couldn't. I was afraid that I would wake up and you wouldn't be there," he went on. "I've slept for maybe eight hours in the past four days, when Alan and Lora would come to check on you."

"Will you tell me what happened?" I asked him as I moved my fingers around in his hands. "I remember…some things but I still don't know what happened to me. All I can truly remember is the pain," I whispered. "Everything got foggy after that until everything went black," I said.

Sam exhaled deeply. "You were fine when we left for dinner…absolutely fine. You were going on and on about how you wanted a kitten and a motorcycle," he started as he pulled one of his hands from mine to rub his temple. "We got inside the restaurant and you started acting strange once the waiter gave you your drinks. It all happened so quickly then," he breathed as she shook his head from side to side. "That girl…Dillinger's date…she poisoned you, Quorra. There was security footage of the girl putting some clear liquid in your wine glass. It was potassium cyanide."

I listened to him carefully as he explained everything to me.

"Quorra, you should have died from the dose that was put in your drink. You should have died within minutes," he choked out. "God…I was right there and I didn't know," he mumbled guiltily as he placed his head in his hands. "It just eats me up. I was sitting there right next to you. I could've stopped it…"

"That's not your fault…" I tried to reassure him but I was interrupted as the door opened to the small room.

A nurse in a light purple uniform came in briskly. "Oh," she said as she looked over at me and then at Sam. "Dr. Fields wasn't expecting that you would be up until tomorrow at the earliest," she murmured as she picked up a clipboard and started to shuffle through the pages. "When did she wake?" the lady asked as she turned her gaze on Sam.

"Ten minutes ago, maybe."

She nodded towards him. "I'll go get Dr. Fields," she said before she turned on her heel and exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her with a click.

I turned my attention to Sam again. "What happens now, Sam?" I asked him quietly as I let my fingers trail over the soft blanket that I realized was one of my blankets from home.

"We're going to go somewhere for a while," he told me. "Until things start to clear up," he added. "The girl is in jail for now; her trial will be in a week or two. A few of the waiters at the restaurant have been brought in for questioning. They are trying to see if there's a link between the two mishaps," Sam said. "Dillinger was put under custody with the girl but the officials that have started to question him are saying that he may have had nothing to do with it," he continued with a sigh. "That's a lie, I think he coordinated this. I don't know what his problem is with you."

"But you don't know that," I told him softly.

He stood then, taking a step back. "You didn't see how he was looking at you during the dinner. He was waiting, Quorra! How could you not have noticed it?" he inquired in a higher voice.

I didn't answer him. My head started to pound and I could feel my heartbeat becoming quicker, but why?

Sam noticed it too. I saw him look over at the monitors as the beeping noises seemed to suddenly double. He frowned, his eyebrows furrowing before he heaved a large sigh. Another nurse came in and she glanced between the two of us. She glared over at Sam. "If you're going to frighten her, we'll ask you to leave."

"I'm sorry-"

"I'm not frightened, I'm fine," I interjected quietly as I sunk into the pillow some more, trying to relax. The nurse looked over at me and just nodded before exiting the room.

Sam sighed and sat down in the chair again, taking my hands as he did so. There was still a pink cast on my right hand so Sam laced his fingers with mine. "I'm sorry," he mumbled again but this time it was directed to me only. "I just…this bothers me."

"Will everything be okay now?" I asked him softly. "There's no one trying to kill me anymore?" I asked him.

"I believe so…" he started. "Alan has been overseeing things with the authorities. A detective will come in soon to talk with you but…I think that there's nothing to worry about for now. Anyone that was suspected has been brought in or already been processed in jail. The only thing to really worry about is the publicity that this is going to bring up. I'm trying my best to keep that at a minimum though," he stated. "It's insane at how badly you have been worrying me these days. I may fall ill," he told me as he tried to smile at me.

"You should stop worrying. I'm okay," I told him. I wrinkled my nose as I swallowed. "There's a very bad taste in my mouth," I commented.

Sam nodded knowingly. "It's from all of the medications they had you on to balance out your blood pH," he said. "You're body became intoxicated and your blood was way too acidic. They put you on medicines that would help equalize your pH levels as well as base foods and drinks that they could feed through that tube," he explained as he gestured to one of the many contraptions that sat near me. "But your body seemed to handle itself. They still don't know how it happened so quickly."

"But that's good though, right?" I asked him.

"Of course it is. You just have all of the doctors confused. They say that it's a miracle," he said and I saw the light smile show on his face.

"Well, I haven't heard that before," I told him sarcastically. "Maybe there is something different about me then," I pondered.

He nodded. "But we'll talk about it later. When we go out of town, I'll be taking you to New York City with Alan and Lora to meet this Doctor. Alan talked to him and he thinks that it's worth a shot. As soon as you get out here, we'll go."

"I've never been there before. What's it like?" I asked him.

He grinned. "It's one of the largest cities in the world. Skyscrapers, crowded streets, many people, accents," he told me. "It's different from here."

I started to speak when two people entered the room. "That sounds amazing, Sam," I murmured as my eyes shifted to the nurse that I had seen earlier and a middle-aged man in a white coat that I didn't recognize.

"You seem to be doing quite alright," he said as he pulled up a rolling chair to the bed and sat right next to me. "I'm Dr. Fields. I've been overseeing your case since you got here a few days ago," he told me as his cool hand touched one of mine briefly. "You've made quite a recovery," he went on as he started to write something down on a notepad. "Do you remember anything?" he asked me.

"That night…is a little blurry, but I remember most of it, I believe," I answered softly.

"Excellent," he said kindly as he scribbled something else down. "Your pulse is almost back to normal, it's about ten beats slower than I'd like but it's an improvement. It seems…" he paused as he grabbed the clipboard and started to flip through the papers. "As though you've stopped vomiting. Carly could you get her some milk?" he asked and within two seconds, the nurse had left the room. "You're throat probably burns a little bit. The milk will help it feel better and replace the tissue. I'd give you a carbonated drink but you can't have those at this time. Would you like to try going without the IV drip?" he asked as he turned to look over at Sam. "You'll be in more pain, like a stinging or burning sensation probably. We're going to try and see if you'll eat something that's not fed through a tube and I'll send a nurse in to put you to sleep afterwards."

"Maybe we could wait-"

"I'd like to try, yes," I said as I glanced over in Sam's direction and smiled. Sam frowned and was about to say something but the doctor cut in.

"If there are any issues, we'll put her right back on it, Mr. Flynn," he said with a genuine smile. "She needs to try and go without it before we can take her off of the oxygen," he went on.

"Alright," Sam mumbled as he relaxed a little bit.

The doctor stood then and placed the clipboard and notepad where he had gotten them from, starting to exit the room. "Carly will be back with milk and something to eat. I'll send in someone to take you off of the IV in about a half hour," he said as he reached the door. "It was nice meeting you."

He left then, shutting the door softly behind him. "Do you think you can sit up on your own?" Sam asked me.

I attempted to start to pull myself up. My body was a lot weaker than I thought it was. Sam stood again and this time, leaned in towards me and wrapped one hand under my arm and the other behind me to rest on my back. He lifted me effortlessly into a sitting position and I slowly moved about to get comfortable. "Thank you," I whispered as I let my upper back rest again the pillows.

I closed my eyes as dizziness overwhelmed me. My cheeks warmed as if I were blushing and my mouth suddenly felt wet.

Sam seemed to understand what was going on because when I opened my eyes again, he was holding a strange shaped container in front of my face. He placed a hand on my back and rubbed it gently. "Just breathe," he told me softly when I whimpered.

I took in a breath, trying to ignore the difficulty that it took for me to do that. After a few seconds, the sensation passed and I let my back rest against the pillows again. "Wow, this world sure has its downs…" I mumbled as I tried to take another breath.

Sam chuckled softly, placing the small container to the side and taking my hand again. The nurse came in the room then, setting a plastic cup and a bowl onto a tray and pushed the tray over me. "I'll be back with another doctor to take the IV out soon," she said before turning, leaving the room without another word.

"What is this?" I asked as I looked in the bowl to see a dark pink square-like food in it. The food smelled sweet and by the look of it, I guess that it was a fruit.

"Its watermelon," he answered. "I really like watermelon. It tastes good and it's very good for you," he said. "You probably haven't seen it very often because it's mainly a summer fruit and you got here in the fall," he murmured in a quiet voice. "Try it."

I picked up the plastic fork and stuck it inside one of the pieces of watermelon, picking it up. "If it's a summer fruit then why do they have it? It's not summer, it's barely spring," I said as I eyed the fruit.

"You can get it any time of year but it always tastes best during the summer," he explained. "And they probably gave it to you because it's a base food," he finished with a shrug.

I put the fruit in my mouth then and chewed the soft food. It tasted sweet, kind of like cotton candy, and it was very watery. I swallowed little bits of it at a time, irritated at how my mouth and throat hurt as I ate. "It's not bad," I told him as I set the fork inside the bowl. "Why does my throat and mouth hurt so much?" I asked him curiously. "It sort of makes everything uncomfortable."

"You threw up a lot," he told me with a strange face. "Dr. Fields said that you threw up so much that your throat is most likely raw. It'll take a few days for it to feel normal again."

I ate another two pieces of watermelon and drank half of the milk that I was given before I didn't feel like eating anymore. Sam pushed the bed tray away as I lay down on the bed once again. I curled up slightly and let my head rest on its right side so I was facing Sam a little more. "Will you do me a favor?" I asked him as he put my hand in his again.

"Sure, anything," he said simply as he looked down at me.

I sighed. "Go and get some sleep," I told him. "You see that I'm fine. Go back to the hotel and get some rest," I said softly.

"Anything but that," he murmured with a frown.

"Sam Flynn, I mean it," I breathed. "You look completely exhausted. I know that you're worrying about me but there's no need to. Go rest."

"No."

"Okay…" I started as I shifted in the hospital bed. "Then get in this bed and sleep," I stated as I patted the small space beside me. "I'll scoot over or something, but seriously, you should sleep."

Sam looked at me with disbelief. "That medicine must finally be getting to you," he said. "I could suffocate you or something!"

"Sam Flynn, you've never crushed me or rolled over on me before and we've slept together since I've been here," I said with a frustrated sigh. "It's either you go to the hotel and sleep or you get in here and sleep, choose now," I told him softly.

He frowned. "Why does it matter if I sleep? I'm not the one who almost died."

"Because you are worrying about me too much to worry about yourself, someone has to," I answered quietly as I opened the covers. "Please," I begged as I pouted at him.

He sat in the chair in silence as he debated. "Quorra, I don't think that's allowed…" he mumbled.

"I don't see any rules pertaining to this bed," I scoffed. "Go to the hotel and get some sleep then," I said as I yawned. "Don't make me call Alan or Lora because they'd make you go and get some sleep to."

Two nurses came in then, talking to each other softly as they entered. One of the nurses took the cup of milk and bowl of half eaten watermelon and set it aside. "How do you feel after eating that?" the nurse with the sandy brown hair asked me.

"A little better, actually," I admitted as I swallowed, glancing over at Sam to see the triumphant smile on his face. "My throat doesn't sting as much as it did beforehand," I answered quietly as I rolled my eyes at him quickly.

"Any nausea?" she questioned as I watched the other nurse take a seat on the side of the bed, taking my left hand into hers.

I shook my head at her and watched as the lady reached up to take the bag off of the platform that was connected to the tubing in my hand. "You may feel a little pinch," she told me with a small smile in my direction.

She took the small piece of the tube out of my hand and I was grateful that I didn't feel a thing. She put a Band-Aid over the small needle hole in my hand and stood. "It may start to bruise but there's no need to worry about it," she said as she wrapped up the tubes and packet of liquid, pulling them into her arms. "We'll come back in soon to give you a pain medication."

The two nurses left then, talking and then laughing about something before shutting the door. "I want to go home," I mumbled. "There's nothing to do here. It's not fun," I sighed.

Sam laughed softly. "I don't think they are meant to be fun," he said. "But do you want to know a secret?" he asked me with a small grin playing on his lips.

"If you promise to go home and sleep," I told him as I raised my eyebrows.

He gave me a fake irritated laugh before shaking his head. "You know what? I'll go home and get some sleep if you promise me one thing," he said as he gave me a serious look.

"Okay, what?" I asked him curiously. The door to my room opened again and I started to frown at being interrupted again. She was holding a cup with a clear blue liquid in it as well as a small orange bottle with a white cap on it.

"Dr. Fields wants me to give you this. We were going to feed the medicine through one of the tubes," she murmured as she gestured towards me. "But he says that you can swallow it."

She popped open the lid of the small orange bottle and pulled out a small circular pill. "Swallow it," she said as she handed me the pill first. I put in my mouth and then took the cup from her hand, swallowing the liquid with the pill. I handed her back the cup and settled back into the slightly uncomfortable bed. "Since you ate something, you'll probably fall asleep faster, about ten minutes," she estimated before turning her gaze on Sam. "Visiting hours will be up in about an hour," she reminded him softly.

"I'll leave once she goes to sleep," he promised her. She nodded and then briskly left the room.

"You don't get any privacy here," I grumbled. "Anyways…before I go to sleep, what must I promise you?" I asked him lightly as I smiled.

"I don't think you need to promise me. You'll be here when I come back tomorrow. You're right, I should stop worrying so much," he murmured.

"But it's cute," I admitted. "You care about me," I said softly. "It's sweet."

He smiled down at me and didn't say a word for what felt like a long time or maybe the medicine was starting to kick in already. My eyes felt a bit heavier, kind of how they felt when I had woken earlier today. "Would you like to hear a secret?" he asked me suddenly.

"Sure," I said a bit curiously

His grin got a little bit wider once he knew he had my full attention. "I'm not quite sure how to say it though…" he told me with one of his signature smiles.

"Oh! You got me a kitten?" I asked him in the happiest voice that I could muster at this time.

He frowned at me but I could see the playfulness in his expression. "No, Quorra."

"Then what?" I asked him a little impatiently. "I want to know," I said.

"Well…" he started as he looked down at me with a softer expression. "Seeing you in here over the past few days made me realize that…I don't cherish you enough when I'm with you. I could've lost you and that would've been it," he said as he squeezed my hands gently. "When you get out of here…" he paused as he stood and leaned in to place his lips inches from my ear. "I'm asking you to marry me," he breathed.

My eyes widened and my lips parted ever so slightly. He pulled back to look at my face and gather my expression. After a few seconds, I smiled up at him. "I don't want to get married in a hospital, Sam Flynn," I told him.

"You won't have to, I promise. It can be anywhere your heart desires," he promised me as he leaned in to kiss my nose. "Whenever you want it, whenever you are ready for it," he whispered.

I felt my eyes water as I met his gaze again. "That makes me happy, Sam," I told him. "What if I say no?" I asked him as I felt my eyes start to droop.

"I hope you don't," he told me as he pressed his hand against my cheek. "But I'll understand if you did," he went on.

I smiled at how considerate he was of me no matter what kind of situation we encountered together. "And what if I say yes?" I asked him.

"Then you would've just made me the happiest man alive," he said to me with an impish grin. "It'll be one of the best days of my life," he murmured as he took my face in both of my hands.

"I'll be saying yes then, Sam Flynn."

I'm not quite sure if I said these words to him because in the next moment, I was subdued into darkness.

_**So, there you go! Sad to say everyone, but this story is coming to a close, I just wrote the last chapter and I will post it soon! But don't worry, the second story of the trilogy is on it's way! I know that some things will not get answered but I am doing that on purpose because that is how a trilogy works. You guys cant get all the answers :P**_

_**Anyways, review and tell me what you thought! :)**_


	22. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

Things started to shift back to normal after Quorra's almost fatal incident that had landed her a stay in the hospital for eight days. She had made a speedy and complete recovery when she was released and Sam was more than grateful for that.

He hadn't lost her like he had lost everyone else that was so near and dear to him in his life. She gave him hope that for once, the world was on his side. She gave him the strength to do the right thing because he knew that she needed him. Just like he needed her.

He was a lucky guy; he knew it, not only by the looks that some men gave the incredibly perfect ISO sometimes, but also because she had chosen him at this point in her life. She was so new to this but yet, she had opened up her heart to him and trusted him with her life.

Innocence so pure, intelligence at its greatest, that's what she was.

One of a kind.

Just like the engagement ring that he had searched for while she had slept peacefully in the hospital bed and then had gone to get when he had brought her to their new home, a spacious new apartment with a terrace that overlooked the east side of Los Angeles.

The ring now rested in a satin box that remained in his coat pocket as he boarded a plane with her to New York City. He had to make this perfect for her because she deserved nothing but perfection.

Yes, he was nervous. He was nervous because he thought that she might not be ready for this even though she believed that she was. He was nervous because he didn't want to mess up what he had rehearsed in his head for the past three days. He was afraid that she might not like the ring. He was nervous because he was afraid that she might say no.

They were on another adventure again, to see if a doctor could help Quorra figure out what exactly she could do. He knew it was a long shot and Quorra thought it was too but they agreed that it was worth a try.

He had to be careful with her, he knew it. She was different even though he didn't know how different. He didn't care though; it didn't make him love her any less. She was afraid of that, if she was too different from him that he wouldn't want her anymore. She was used to not being wanted.

He had reassured her though, that everything would be alright, like he always promised.

"You're nervous," Sam commented after the plane had taken off and had been in the air for about twenty minutes. "Why?"

She shook her head at him as she looked out the window. Of course she got the window seat, she would've begged for it if Sam hadn't given it up to her so easily. He could never say no to such a pretty face.

"This doesn't change anything," he told her quietly as he leaned slightly into her side to place his lips near her ear.

She nodded and turned her electric blue sapphire eyes on him. They were wide, observant, and a little scared. "I know," she said simply as she turned her lips up into a sad smile.

"Then what?" he prompted as he took her smaller and softer hand in his.

She sighed and slumped her shoulders. "What if there's nothing special about me?" she whispered as she closed her eyes. "I don't want to let Flynn down," she breathed.

He could hear the fear in her almost inaudible tone. "You haven't let him down and you won't. I know you're special, I can feel it," he promised her gently.

"Sam, that's why I'm here and he's not," she breathed and he watched as her eyes start to water. "Because I'm supposed to do something important here but I don't even know what it is," she whimpered as a tear fell from her round eye and slowly fell down her blushed cheek. "It'll be my entire fault then that you don't have him," she cried, taking her eyes away from him and looking out the small window once more.

"Hey…" Sam murmured as he placed his hand on her cheek and pulled her face back towards his. "You're not a waste, sweetheart," he soothed as he gently wiped the tear away. "He wanted this for you. He knows that you can do it, I know you can do it," he told her as he squeezed her hand. "And anyways, now you're here for two things," he added as he placed her hand on his heart. "I'm glad that you came into my life," he said before putting her hand down again.

She looked up at him with wide, scared eyes and barely nodded in response. "I just don't want to let him down, Sam," she said as she leaned against his shoulder.

"You won't, he's proud of you and he always will be, I know it," he reassured her.

She smiled up at him softly and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "You think so?" she asked him.

"Of course, I do."

She squeezed his hand back and sniffed softly. "He's proud of you too, Sam."

He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead gently before they lapsed into silence again.

She was content sitting there with his arms around her and he was content with having her warm body so close to his. It was a miracle that she had changed his life from edgy to fulfilling within a few mere days of her arrival. She was just what he needed to get his life straight again.

And he was just what she needed to learn about humanity. She didn't mind that he was so over-protective of her because she knew that it was spawned by how much he cared for her. She was glad that she didn't have to enter this foreign world alone, and even more glad that Sam had showed her the steps to everything.

All in all,

The only way

That either one of them

Could sum it up was,

"A Dream Come True."

_**So that's the final bit of this part of the trilogy! I hope you all loved it and thanks so much for sticking through it with me! You all are an awesome audience and I hope to see you reading my second story "In A Hearts Beat" of the trilogy which is already up, yep, ive posted it!**_

_**Anyways, review my story because this is my last chapter and I'm sad (eventhough im still writing for it) that this one came to an end. Hope you all loved it like i did!**_


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